The Financial Times has been awarded the prestigious Best Mobile Innovation for Publishing prize for its Web App at today’s Global Mobile Awards in Barcelona. The prize recognises excellence in developing innovative mobile material, highlighting the rapid evolution of the printed word to digital media on mobile handsets and tablet devices.

Since its launch in June 2011 the FT Web App has had over 1.7 m users with 40% having bookmarked it to their home screen. The FT was the first major news publisher to launch an app of this type, which uses HTML5 technology and allows users to download directly from the browser.

FT.com MD, Rob Grimshaw, said: “We are delighted with the success of the FT Web App, which has been embraced equally enthusiastically by both our readers and the global mobile community. This award recognises the FT’s mobile leadership and groundbreaking strategy and will be a catalyst for more exciting FT mobile innovation. Mobile is an increasingly important channel for the FT, driving 15% of subscriptions and 20% of traffic to FT.com.”

Key features of the FT Web App include continual and automatic content downloads and improvements and the ability to read offline. It can be downloaded directly from app.ft.com and ensures that FT customers can access FT content anytime, anywhere, on a PC and multiple devices, with one login and one subscription payment.

The GMC award follows the success of the FT’s initial iPad App, which won an Apple Design Award in 2010 for technical excellence, innovation, technology adoption and quality.