The 21st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were held on 28 October 2007 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex.
Due to the membership of Tomas Wylder (Switzerland), Jim Sclavunos (United States), and James Johnston (UK), the band does not qualify as Australian.
In rebellion against this ruling, Cave unofficially inducted Mick Harvey, Warren Ellis, Conway Savage and Martyn P. Casey of the Bad Seeds; as well as Rowland S. Howard and Tracy Pew of the Birthday Party; "by the power vested in [him] by this award".
Cave did not name Hugo Race of the Bad Seeds nor Phill Calvert of The Birthday Party, who are Australian, in his unofficial induction.
It was announced that the following artists were the special performers of the event:[4] The broadcast of the 2007 awards was controversial; it was revealed by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)'s Media Watch that Channel 10 had used subliminal advertising—which is illegal under Australian Media and Broadcasting rules—TEN disputed the finding, however their defence was also criticised by Media Watch, as demonstrating ignorance of these rules.