The award was permanently reactivated in 2020 to commemorate Australian contributions and participation in major multi-sport events.

On 4 December 2020, the Queen of Australia assented to amendments to the regulations for the Australian Sports Medal, which reactivated awards to commemorate Australian sporting participation in major multi-sports events, including:[4][5] The year is listed as such in the table due to the award numbers being made public based on the financial year in the Governor Generals Annual Report.

This commemorative medal was introduced to recognise Australian sporting achievements.

The medal acknowledges a range of Australians who, in different ways, contributed to the nation’s sporting success.

On announcing the reactivation of the medal on 18 December 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the medal "will enable official members of Australian teams who participate in eligible international multi-sport events to be awarded the medal [...] The Australian Sports Medal will be awarded to eligible Australian team members and officials in recognition of their participation at international multi-sport events, and a number of international events for people with a disability.