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he 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, that was held across February and March this year prior to the COVID-19 shutdown of sport, has been named the Australian Event of the Year.

The World Cup recorded a total attendance of more than 1,360,000 people across 23 matches across six host cities around Australia, along with a final between Australia and India at the MCG on International Women’s Day (March 8) attracting a crowd of 86,174 people, making it the second-highest attendance at a women’s sporting fixture anywhere in the world.

The event also pulled in the award for Australia’s Best Sporting Event of the year during the Australia Event Awards, which were held on Wednesday with a series of simultaneous functions across Australia.

2020 ICC T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO, and now Cricket Australia interim chief executive, Nick Hockley, accepted the award in Sydney, saying the event will serve as inspiration for young girls and boys across Australia.

“We are thrilled to receive these awards as recognition for what was an incredible event, which featured amazing performances from players on the field and unprecedented support from fans who filled venues around the country and watched in huge numbers on TV,” Hockley said.

“The event was only made possible through the support of governments around the country, our world-class venues, the ICC, Cricket Australia, State & Territory cricket associations, commercial partners, media and broadcasters, suppliers, volunteers, players, and of course, the fans.

“The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was more than a sporting event – it was an opportunity to showcase women’s sport on the biggest stage.

“Hopefully, young girls and boys will be inspired to dream big and follow in the footsteps of the star players who put on such an amazing show.

“Everyone involved will be forever grateful that we were able to complete the event in a year when so many events have been cancelled or postponed.

“We pay tribute to the resilience of everyone in the events industry, which has been so severely impacted by the pandemic,” he said.

The award winner is determined by industry leaders and experts from around Australia on such factors as best practice, innovation, marketing, stakeholder engagement and management, sustainability, and event legacy.

The previous winners of the award include the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018 and the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in 2019.