After entertaining for decades, The Wiggles will receive one of Australia's top music gongs

After more than 30 years keeping children entertained and parents grateful, The Wiggles are being recognised with an APRA award for their contribution to music.

The original blue, red, yellow and purple line-up of Anthony Field (right), Murray Cook (left), Greg Page (centre, top) and Jeff Fatt (centre, bottom) will receive the gong at Melbourne Town Hall in early May. Source: AAP, AP / Christopher Pledger

The Wiggles hit songs like Fruit Salad and Hot Potato have made them the heroes of countless children worldwide, and of their grateful parents, so it's no huge surprise that they're now being recognised with one of the biggest awards in Australian music.

The colourful skivvy-wearing group will become the recipients of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at the 2022 APRA awards.

The news comes after The Wiggles topped Triple J's Hottest 100 earlier this year for their cover of Tame Impala's Elephant which featured current members Anthony Field, Lachy Gillespie and Simon Pryce, alongside the recently retired Emma Watkins.

The original blue, red, yellow and purple line-up of Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fatt — who will receive the gong at Melbourne Town Hall on 3 May — have thanked APRA for the honour.

"An award like this means so much to us, because everything we do is based on songs and to get an award for song writing — especially an award like this — makes us very proud and quite humble," Mr Cook said in a video statement.

Seeing their names mentioned alongside fellow recipients Midnight Oil, Joy McKean, Helen Reddy and The Seekers meant a great deal, the group said.

"On behalf of everyone who's worked with The Wiggles over the past 31 years, I want to thank APRA for honouring us," Mr Field said.

"We have always been driven by genuine love and passion for music, and this recognition means so much to us."

The Wiggles have educated and entertained the lives of millions of children worldwide for more than three decades, selling more than 30 million albums and DVDs and eight million books globally.

Parents who grew up watching The Wiggles, now play their music to their own children. Their music has been streamed more than one billion times, they've been viewed two billion times on YouTube, and have sold out live audiences worldwide.

The Living End's Chris Cheney, Indigenous rapper MC Dallas Woods, punk legends the Hard-Ons and singer-songwriter Tone and I are among the stars scheduled to perform on the APRA stage.