At least a few happy developers are celebrating today after the iTunes App Store rolled out its picks for best apps of 2011. Social photo sharing app Instagram was voted the best iPhone app of 2011.

Instagram is a relatively simple way for users to take photos, apply effects to those pictures and then share them with other users of the service. Apple called Instagram the “definitive photo-sharing app,” as well as “one of the world’s fastest growing social networks.”

Tiny Tower, by Nimblebit, was awarded the best iPhone game of the year. Tiny Tower asks users to build a skyscraper, installing and managing different buildings on each floor they add to the building. The app is free but users can purchase virtual money to expand their building.

Top iPad App of the year went to Snapseed, a photo editing app from Nik Software that sells for $4.99. The top iPad game of the year was awarded to Electronic Arts’ Dead Space, which also sells for $4.99 and includes in-app purchases.