Yeh, realised it was 2001 after I posted.. bit stupid on my part.
Still.. i stand by the fact that 10 years is too broad-an-era in which to decide a definitive best and that in my personal opinion, I can think of designs that would win over 2Advanced.
However, given the number of sites that have clearly so closely mirrored this aesthetic.. I cannot argue over its influence in the community therefore perhaps it was the best bid for this award.
Never-the-less, kudos to 2Advanced!. it's a great site and congratulations are due to them for recieving such a prestigous award, regardless of my own feelings as to the practicality of the awards period