Sheffield City Hall has been crowned as the best large event venue in the country by industry publication, Event Magazine.

Beating off stiff competition from Chelsea Football Club, the Royal Albert Hall, Alexandra Palace and the LG Arena, the City Hall picked up the prestigious accolade at a ceremony at the Roundhouse, in Camden.

Sheffield City Hall hosts more than 700 events every year including music concerts, weddings, conferences, exhibitions and comedy events, including the annual Grin Up North festival which will take place in the city next month.

It is one of 17 entertainment, leisure and sports venues that make up Sheffield International Venues' (SIV) portfolio.

Now in its 14th year, the Event awards celebrate the creative, exhibition and experiential sectors of the live events industry.

Dominic Stokes, General Manager of SIV Events, said: "To win this award is an incredible achievement and, what makes it even more important, is that we have been recognised as the country's leading large event venue ahead of major London names.

"It demonstrates the great strides being made by SIV and Sheffield to place the city as an attractive alternative destination for organisers who would usually look to the capital for major conferences and events."

The Large Capacity Venue award is one of a string of accolades for SIV this year.

iceSheffield was a finalist at the national Conference Awards in June and SIV Events has been shortlisted in the Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose Awards Business Tourism category which will be announced on October 10.

Sheffield City Hall has also been selected as the host of the National Union of Students (NUS) national conference in April 2012 and 2013 - a three day conference that is estimated to generate over £2 million pounds for the local economy.

Dominic added: "The Event Awards are benchmark of excellence for the industry and this accolade is a testament to the hard work, dedication and innovation show by our team day in day out.

"It is always rewarding to receive recognition for good work, but awards play a key role in attracting prestigious events, such as the NUS conferences, to the city, which in turn, are directly increasing tourism to the region."