Adams adds award to stellar year

World champion shot putter Valerie Adams has been named women's athlete of the year by American athletics publication Track and Field News.

A US athletics publication has named Kiwi shot putter Valerie Adams women's athlete of the year. (AAP)

Kiwi shot putter Valerie Adams has won back-to-back awards as Track and Field News' women's athlete of the year.

Adams last year become the first thrower in 32 years to win the title, and the prestigious American athletics publication says this year she received 13 of the 33 votes for No.1.

The 29-year-old New Zealander beat Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce by 15 points.

American hurdler Brianna Rollins and Czech 400m hurdler Zuzana Hejnova finished third and fourth respectively.

Adams took her fourth successive world title at the Moscow championships in August.