Yet more accolades have been heaped onto the fast-selling iPod music player.

Apple’s innovative fourth-generation iPod has now scooped the prestigious ‘Gadget of the Year’ prize at Engadget’s 2004 award ceremony.

The award further cements iPod’s outstanding reputation as the leading personal digital music player available on the market.

The prize allocation also helped distance Apple’s innovation above rival products such as Sony’s Network Walkman NW-HD1, which picked up the ‘Disappointment of the Year’ and ‘Worst Gadget of the Year’ honours.

This achievement continues an impressive run of critics’ recognition for the iPod and follows its most recent scalp being the ‘best mobile device’ prize at PC Magazine’s 21st annual technical excellence awards last week.

Apple achieved added success during the Engadget’s 2004 awards with its Apple iPhone product scooping the Readers’ Choice and Engadget Pick awards for the ‘Comeback of the Year’ prize.