SYDNEY, Australia — The Wiggles are taking their big red car to Universal Music Group.
The iconic Australian children’s entertainers have struck a strategic global agreement with UMG, Billboard can exclusively reveal, marking a new chapter for an act, a brand, that’s 35 years young.
Going forward, Universal Music Australia (UMA) will take the lead in amplifying the Wiggles’ reach, feeding into UMG’s global network and know-how on streaming, digital and physical distribution, promotion and marketing, and more.
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Put simply, the collaboration has a mission to introduce the Wiggles to more families worldwide through new recording projects, expanded digital content and integrated campaigns.
Through the arrangement, the Wiggles’ recordings will be released in the United States through Republic Records: Kids & Family.
“The Wiggles are a true cultural phenomenon and one of Australia’s most iconic and enduring success stories,” comments Sean Warner, president and CEO, Universal Music Australia and New Zealand. “Their music has soundtracked childhoods for generations and continues to resonate across audiences worldwide. We’re proud to be shaping the next chapter of their international journey as a trusted and much-loved Australian group.”
The new arrangement will be formally announced Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 17), and concludes the Wiggles’ successful relationship with ABC Music, which had served as the group’s record label since formation back in 1991.
Since then, the jolly collective, know globally by their signature skivvies and upbeat songs, has accumulated 30 million album and DVDs sales, six billion YouTube views, with 10 million YouTube subscribers.
On the awards front, the Wiggles have snagged 18 ARIAs, including induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame, and in 2011 its members were on hand to receive at Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at the 2022 APRA Music Awards.
Celebrity admirers include Shaquille O’Neal, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Dolly Parton, Kevin Parker, Teddy Swims and Robert De Niro.
“The Wiggles have built an extraordinary creative legacy in children’s entertainment,” comments Andrew Kronfeld, executive VP, international and label and artist ventures, UMG. “We see strong potential to continue growing the Wiggles brand globally, while staying true to what has also made them so beloved for more than 35 years. We’re thrilled to welcome them into the Universal Music family.”
With UMG on board for the recording side, the Wiggles’ rights are brought under the one roof. Five years ago, in January 2021, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) signed the Wiggles to the musical group’s first exclusive, global publishing agreement.
In the same year, the group expanded to an eight-member lineup. Today, the outfit includes Anthony and Lucia (Blue Wiggles), Simon and Caterina (Red Wiggles), Tsehay and Evie (Yellow Wiggles) and Lachy and John (Purple Wiggles).
The Wiggles was established at the turn of the 1990s while the founding members were students at Sydney’s Macquarie University, enrolled in Early Childhood Education. Two of the performers had history with the 1980s pop-rock band the Cockroaches, which had a hit down under these parts with the song “She’s the One.”
“The Wiggles’ mission has been about creating fun, educational and enriching music for children and families,” Anthony Field, the Wiggles’ co-founder and original “Blue” Wiggle. “What makes this new partnership so special is the opportunity to take everything we do—music, storytelling, live performance—and amplify it on a truly global scale. Universal Music understands both the legacy and the future of the Wiggles, and together we’re looking forward to reaching families everywhere across America and around the world in new and meaningful ways.”
In Australia, where the Wiggles have landed No. 1 albums and, in 2022, topped the triple j Hottest 100 countdown, the act’s flagship TV series Ready, Steady, Wiggle! will continue to air on ABC Kids and ABC iview. A new season is said to be premiering this year.
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