The iPod has been awarded the Experts’ Choice award at the British Interactive Media Association’s (BIMA) awards held in Chelsea.

The awards, now in their 20th year, recognize creative excellence in digital media, covering 22 categories including broadband sites, interactive advertising and online relationship marketing.

Specifically, the Experts’ Choice award recognises “products, services or initiatives that have influenced the digital sector in the past 12 months.”

iPod have produced a growing number of products and initiatives this year including the Newer Tech iPod battery replacement, solar powered chargers, and portable iPod speaker.

Alasdair Scott, BIMA chairman, said: “Apple’s iPod is not only a desirable piece of design but a catalyst for change in the music industry and the way consumers accept digital music.

“As a rapidly maturing industry, we have more talent and expertise than ever. Now is the time to benchmark the new and innovative alongside the most creative and effective our industry has to offer,” he added.

The iPod beat several other innovations to the award including Sky +, BT rich media, Ofcom, Vodafone live!, and UK Wi-Fi roll-out.