The Wiggles honoured with Ted Albert Award at 2022 APRA Music Awards

In a first for a children’s music group, The Wiggles have become the newest recipients of one of the highest honours for Australian musicians.

Members of Australian children's music group The Wiggles (L-R): founding Blue Wiggle Anthony Field, new Yellow Wiggle Tsehay Hawkins and original Red Wiggle Murray Cook. Picture: Jane Dempster

In a first for a children’s music group, The Wiggles have become the newest recipients of one of the highest honours for Australian musicians.

On Thursday, the long-running band was announced as the winners of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music, to be presented next month at the APRA Music Awards.

Named after the pioneering Alberts record producer and entrepreneur, who died in 1990, its previous artist recipients include the likes of Archie Roach, Paul Kelly, Helen Reddy, The Seekers and Cold Chisel.

“I think it’s amazing that they’re recognising children’s music as something worthwhile,” Blue Wiggle Anthony Field told The Australian. “We’ve always treated our audience with a real respect, and we also wanted the music to be top quality.”

Original Red Wiggle Murray Cook concurred with his former bandmate.

“It’s something I’m immensely proud of,” said Cook. “I was at Bluesfest on the weekend, and so many people come up to me and say that hearing The Wiggles was the beginning of their love for music. That’s just amazing to me, and so lovely.”

For the Sydney-based group – which was also inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2011 – this new honour follows its surprise Triple J Hottest 100 win in January for its cover of the Tame Impala song Elephant, as well as its first ARIA No.1 last month for ReWiggled, a double album of cover songs.

“I’m 58, and I don’t want to sound like a prophet of doom, but we’re not on the earth for that long, so just enjoy it while you can – that’s what I say,” said Field. “I don’t take myself seriously, but gee, it’s great to be able to play music that children and adults enjoy.”

Performers Anthony Field (left), Tsehay Hawkins and Murray Cook at Wiggles HQ in Sydney this week. Picture: Jane Dempster

The group is currently nearing the end of a unique national tour in two parts. During the day, the new-look group – completed by the recent addition of Yellow Wiggle Tsehay Hawkins – performs its ‘Fruit Salad TV’ shows for children.

At night, the original four band members are playing before raucous audiences aged 15 and above, complete with the unusual sight of cold beers being drunk by Wiggles concertgoers.

“They’re not drinking cordial – they’re out for a good time,” said Field with a laugh.

“The shows we do for children are always a joy, and at night-time, it’s just wild.”

He and Cook are relishing the chance to reunite with Greg Page and Jeff Fatt before big crowds at these shows, with more than 12,000 people expected at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Saturday night, followed by shows in Brisbane and Adelaide.

The Ted Albert Award will be presented to The Wiggles at the peer-voted APRA Music Awards at Melbourne Town Hall on May 3, which will feature live performances from Tones and I, Chris Cheney, and You Am I frontman Tim Rogers with veteran punk-rock act Hard-Ons.