The Wiggles - Reception

Reception

The Wiggles enjoyed "almost universal approval" throughout their history. Their songs were sung and played in pre-schools all around the world, which according to Paul Field, was the "equivalent of having the Stones cover one of your songs". They were named Australia's richest entertainers by Business Review Weekly (BRW) for four years in a row (2004–2008), and earned A$45 million in 2009, when they were third on BRW's annual list. In 2011, the worldwide recession hit The Wiggles, as it had done most Australian entertainers; they earned $28 million, but still appeared second on the BRW's list that year. By 2008, The Wiggles had earned seventeen gold, twelve platinum, three double-platinum, and ten multi-platinum awards for sales of over 17 million DVDs and four million CDs. They performed for over 1.5 million children in the US between 2005 and 2008. They have earned ADSDA's award for Highest Selling Children's Album four times. In 2007, the group won two APRA awards: the International Achievement Award and the Most Performed Screen Composer - Overseas award. They have been nominated for ARIA's Best Children's Album award sixteen times, and won the award ten times. In 2003, they received ARIA's Outstanding Achievement Award "for their significant achievements in the industry from their early days as The Cockroaches to their current global success in children's entertainment". As part of the 2011 ARIA Music Awards, The Wiggles were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, along with Kylie Minogue.

In 2003, when the group performed at Madison Square Garden, front-row tickets were sold for US$500, in spite of The Wiggles' efforts to reduce scalping by limiting the number of seats sold per transaction. In 2008, the group found themselves in the midst of what The Daily Telegraph called a "ticketing scandal"; scalpers tried to sell a A$19 ticket on eBay for almost A$2,000 and a set of three tickets for A$315 for concerts in Melbourne, and a group of three tickets to a Wiggles UNICEF charity concert in Sydney had a price tag of A$510. The tickets were taken off eBay and voided.

In what Paul Field called "one of the highlights of their 15 years of being together", The Wiggles were awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Australian Catholic University in 2006. Cook gave the commencement speech for the graduates. They were awarded another honorary doctoral degree in 2009 from their alma mater, Macquarie University.

The group was named UNICEF goodwill ambassadors in early 2008. In 2010, the four original members of The Wiggles were appointed Members in the Order of Australia for their service to the arts in Australia, especially children's entertainment, and for their contributions and support of several charities. They called the honour their "biggest recognition yet". The group has always invited children with special needs and their families to pre-concert "meet and greet" sessions. According to Fatt, many parents of these children have reported that The Wiggles' music has enhanced their lives, and that children with autism "respond to Wiggles and nothing else". Since 1995, The Wiggles have visited and performed for patients at the Sydney Children's Hospital every Christmas morning.

In 2011, ABC Music released an album titled "Rewiggled - A Tribute To The Wiggles" to celebrate the 20th birthday of the group. The album features covers of many favourite Wiggles songs performed by notable Australian music artists.