More than 100 blogs from around the world are shortlisted across the BOB's 11 categories, which cover seven languages and include specialist awards for design, topic, innovation and best overall blog.
Holger Hank, editorial director of Deutsche Welle's website, summed up the impact the medium has made: "One reason why blogging is important is because it has changed the way information is shared on the internet, similar to the way the internet changed the delivery of information when it first came on the scene."
"Anyone can start a weblog and share what they think with whoever wants to read the site - that's a massive change for the established media," he said.
Each category will have two winners: one chosen by public vote and the other selected by a group of expert judges. The heavyweight panel includes Myra Hunt, head of new media at the BBC World Service, online journalist Ignacio Escolar García and Professor André Lemos, head of the International Centre for Cyberculture Research at the Federal University of Bahia in Brazil. Final voting closes on 5 December.
This is the first year for the awards but Mr Hank suggested it was unlikely to be the last: "Blogging is definitely here to stay," he told dotJournalism."
"The importance and influence of blogs and blogging can already be seen in the United States with an issue like Rathergate, to name just one.
"I think the European blogs will also continue to grow in number and importance as time progresses," he said.
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