Hot Potato! Rolling Stone’s Cover Story on The Wiggles’ Wins at 2023 Mumbrella Awards

After a remarkable year of firsts which included an ARIA No. 1 album, top honors at the APRA Music Awards and acing the triple j Hottest 100 countdown, the Wiggles are on top again – this time sharing honors with Rolling Stone AU/NZ.

The Wiggles’ cover story in RS won for magazine cover of the year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards 2023, presented last Thursday (Sept. 7).

Snapped by Giulia Giannini McGauran at Hot Potato Studios and penned by Jake Challenor, print editor – Rolling Stone AU/NZ, the winning cover was the September 2022 edition, which came with a special Wiggles-themed adult colouring book.

For the issue, the world-beating kids entertainers granted RS unprecedented access to their recent Australian arena tour — a double headliner with the current and original lineups — and to their studios in Sydney, as they worked on new music and rehearsed a brand-new TV show.

The occasion marked several firsts.

Yellow Wiggle Tsehay Hawkins became the youngest person to appear on the domestic cover of the iconic music and pop culture masthead, and it was the first-ever cover story for the “Hot Potato” legends.

Credits: The Wiggles, photographed on May 27, 2022, at Hot Potato Studios by Giulia Giannini McGauran. Creative: Katie Taylor. Stylist: Jana Bartolo. Hair and Makeup: Lei Tai. Production: Long Story Short. Photography assistant: Izaac Margin. Styling assistant: Kirsten Humphreys.

Challenor said at the time: “Just like Rolling Stone, The Wiggles have stood the test of time. Here is a band that, for three decades, has entertained and inspired future generations,” he said. “The last two years have been some of their best in history. The Wiggles are more relevant than ever, which is exactly why pop culture icons like Lil Nas X and The Kid Laroi are embracing them. Without a doubt, 2022 is officially the Year of The Wiggles.”

Rolling Stone Australia continues to buck trends in the market for magazines.

According to Roy Morgan data published earlier in the year, RS Australia captured 224,000 readers in the year to December 2022, up 17.3% compared with the year-before period, and ahead of popular brands Gourmet Traveller, Vogue Living, Harper’s Bazaar, Who and Money Magazine.

Relaunched in 2020, RS is part of The Brag Media, whose titles includes Variety Australia and The Music Network.

Also at the Mumbrella Publish Awards 2023, Man of Many scooped a hattrick of awards, Broadsheet Media was named publishing company of the year, and The Local Project won for publication of the year.

Bec Brown, founder of Bec Brown Communications, was on hand to present the magazine cover of the year category, the evening’s first award.

The Wiggles photo shoot at Hot Potato Studios, 2022.
Words: Jake Challenor
Photography: Giulia Giannini McGauran
Creative: Katie Taylor
Stylist: Jana Bartolo
Hair and Makeup: Lei Tai
Production: Long Story Short
Photography assistant: Izaac Margin
Styling assistant: Kirsten Humphreys