Fortune Magazine polled 4200, company directors, corporate executives and industry analysts to arrive at their 2010 "World's Most Admired Company" award winner. 

This year, Apple has won by the biggest margin ever since 2001 when Fortune started compiling this list and award.  This is Apple's third year in a row winning the award. 

Why Apple, yet again?  We agree with their winning again this year and obviously their products are amazing, the best designed and of high quality.  Apple has done other things that have turned entire industries on their head, even re-writing whole industries.  Their iPod / iTunes revolution has changed the whole model of the music industry.  The iPhone, iTouch (and the soon to arrive iPad tablet) and iPhone app store is revolutionizing the mobile phone and computing market.  Next could be TV, movies and even books (again with their iPad tablet device to be launched later this month).  

In Fortune's words:
"With 250 million iPods, 43 million iPhones, and 32 million iPod touches sold to date, plus the promise of a game-changing iPad, Apple won this year's vote by the highest margin ever for a No. 1. Two more years as champ and Apple will match GE for most appearances in the top spot.

What makes Apple so admired? Product, product, product. This is the company that changed the way we do everything from buy music to design products to engage with the world around us. Its track record for innovation and fierce consumer loyalty translates into tremendous respect across business' highest ranks.

As BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer puts it, "The whole world held its breath before the iPad was announced. That's brand management at its very best." --Christopher Tkaczyk"

Below is a video explaining the award and the rankings.

Apple also took the top prizes in two other categories of innovation (first place) and people management (second place)