The cop who became something of an instant celebrity in his small New York town for arresting Justin Timberlake on suspicion of DWI last summer just landed an award of his own ... officer of the year!

Michael Arkinson of the Sag Harbor Police Department was bestowed the award by Chief Rob Drake in a recent ceremony ... where he praised the rookie for making "an immediate impact within the department and the community."

The chief also commended the rookie for leading the department in arrests and summonses ... one of which included taking JT into custody last June after a DWI stop.

MA became a meme of sorts after it was reported he apparently didn't know who JT was when he pulled him over and took him into custody ... resulting in the viral "This is going to ruin the tour" joke.

After some serious headline-making drama ... Justin took a traffic ticket plea deal in September and the matter was closed.

It is unclear if Arkinson's award will have any impact on the world tour. 😉