The album has received praise for connecting on a deeply emotional level, as it tells the story of a persecuted people group (aboriginal Australians) as well as the singer's own suffering with both racial persecution and his visual impairment.

The track "Gurrumul History (I Was Born Blind)" also won a Deadly for Single of the Year.

[9] On November 23, 2012, the album was certified Silver in the United Kingdom for sales of 60,000 copies.

[10] It is the best-selling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music album in Australian history, launching Yunupingu's international solo career and establishing him as one of Australia's most significant musical artists.

20 in Rolling Stone Australia’s ‘200 Greatest Albums of All Time’ countdown.