I would go with that design instead of some of these newer designs that I see. A lot of sites that I see now are flashy at the expense of usability, and it doesn't matter how good your site looks if it frustrates users who can't easily navigate to where they want to go, or easily find the information they came to find.
Substance often wins out over style, especially when it comes to a website. The Drudge Report, for example, is probably as simple as they come but it's quite possibly the most successful independent news site on the web. A simple layout combined with a simple navigational system equates to ease of use, which inevitably leads to positive user reactions and more benefits therefrom.
Good luck to the awards nominees!
