At the Association of Online Publishers award ceremony last night (June 9), The Times and The Sunday Times took the top prize in the Launch 2011 category for their digital subscription model.

Last year, News International launched paid-for content across the redesigned Times and brand new Sunday Times web sites - an industry first.

The Launch award was the first of the night and was open to "products, services or websites (excluding relaunches) that have gone live within the judging period [2010]. Entries will need to demonstrate use of excellent content, creativity, and marketing, within this limited time."

Judges commented that charging for access to the sites was "a gutsy move, uniting the whole company together in a single vision, resulting in a beautiful end product."

The award reflects "the best launch through evidence of its commercial viability, a clear understanding of the target market, and strong evidence of the business impact of the launch."