Juno Awards of 1979

The Juno Awards of 1979, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 21 March 1979 in Toronto at a ceremony hosted by Burton Cummings at the Harbour Castle Hilton Convention Centre.

Claudja Barry and Ginette Reno were live performers on the ceremony telecast, seen on CBC Television from 9:30pm Eastern Time. Gino Vannelli and Chilliwack provided videotaped performances.

Pierre Trudeau attended the ceremonies, the first time a Canadian Prime Minister did so. He introduced Hank Snow into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Cummings and Dan Hill led nominations with four each. In an unusual move, Hill was nominated in the "Composer of the Year" category for "Sometimes When We Touch" for the second time as it had sold more than 75,000 copies after the first award at the 1978 Juno ceremony.

This was the first year when Gordon Lightfoot failed to pick up an award, and Anne Murray was not present to claim her two awards. The CBC television broadcast was seen by an estimated 1,827,000 viewers which was down from the year before.

Female Vocalist of the Year
Winner: Anne Murray

Other nominees:
 * Carroll Baker
 * Lisa Dal Bello
 * Patsy Gallant
 * Joni Mitchell

Male Vocalist of the Year
Winner: Gino Vannelli

Other nominees:
 * Burton Cummings
 * Dan Hill
 * Gordon Lightfoot
 * Neil Young

Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year
Winner: Claudja Barry

Other nominees:
 * Ronney Abramson
 * Carolyne Bernier
 * Roxanne Goldade
 * Denise McCann

Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year
Winner: Nick Gilder

Other nominees:
 * Rick James
 * Marc Jordan
 * Martin Stevens
 * Pat Travers

Group of the Year
Winner: Rush

Other nominees:
 * Chilliwack
 * Prism
 * Triumph
 * Trooper

Most Promising Group of the Year
Winner: Doucette

Other nominees:
 * Max Webster
 * Streetheart
 * Teaze
 * Zon

Composer of the Year
Winner: Dan Hill (Co-composer with Barry Mann), "Sometimes When We Touch" by Dan Hill

Other nominees:
 * Burton Cummings, "Break It to Them Gently" by Burton Cummings
 * Nick Gilder & James McCulloch, "Hot Child in the City" by Nick Gilder
 * Frank Mills, "Music Box Dancer" by Frank Mills
 * Brian Smith & Ra McGuire, "Raise a Little Hell" by Trooper

Country Female Vocalist of the Year
Winner: Carroll Baker

Country Male Vocalist of the Year
Winner: Ronnie Prophet

Country Group or Duo of the Year
Winner: The Good Brothers

Folk Singer of the Year
Winner: Murray McLauchlan

Other nominees:
 * Bruce Cockburn
 * Dan Hill
 * Gordon Lightfoot
 * Valdy

Instrumental Artist of the Year
Winner: Liona Boyd

Other nominees:
 * André Gagnon
 * Hagood Hardy
 * Frank Mills
 * Black Light Orchestra

Producer of the Year
Winner: Gino Vannelli, Joe Vannelli & Ross Vannelli, Brother to Brother by Gino Vannelli

Other nominees:
 * Matthew McCauley & Fred Mollin, Frozen in the Night by Dan Hill & McCluskey by David McCluskey
 * Jack Richardson, Richard T. Bear by Richard T. Bear
 * Terry Brown & Rush, Hemispheres by Rush
 * Bob Segarini, Gotta Have Pop by Bob Segarini

Recording Engineer of the Year
Winner: Ken Friesen, Let's Keep It That Way by Anne Murray

Other nominees:
 * Rick Capreol & Jeff Smith, Special Way by Aura
 * David Greene, Unexplored Territory by Canadian Brass
 * Andrew Hermant, Frozen in the Night by Dan Hill
 * Mike Jones, The Cooper Brothers by The Cooper Brothers

Canadian Music Hall of Fame
Winner: Hank Snow

Best Selling Album
Winner: Dream of a Child, Burton Cummings

Other nominees:
 * Carroll Baker, 20 Country Classics
 * Gordon Lightfoot, Endless Wire
 * Trooper, Thick as Thieves
 * Rush, Hemispheres

Best Album Graphics
Winner: Alan Gee & Greg Lawson, Madcats by Madcats

Other nominees:
 * James Hill, The Candelight & Wine Album compilation by CHFI 98.1
 * James O'Mara, See Forever Eyes by Prism
 * Bob Kroll, Unexplored Territory by Canadian Brass
 * William Roberto Wilson, Maneige by Maneige
 * Myron Zabol & Gary Muth, Meanwhile Back in Paris by Streetheart

Best Children's Album
Winner: There's a Hippo in My Tub, Anne Murray

Best Classical Album of the Year
Winner: Hindemith; Das Marienleben, Glenn Gould and Roxolana Roslak
 * A Baroque Bouquet — Toronto Baroque Trio
 * First Lady of the Guitar — Liona Boyd
 * Janacek Taras Bulba — Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Davis
 * The Orford String Quartet — Orford String Quartet

Best Selling International Album
Winner: Saturday Night Fever, Bee Gees

Best Jazz Album
Winner: Jazz Canada Montreux 1978, Tommy Banks Big Band with Guest "Big" Miller
 * Big Band Jazz, Vol. II — Humber College Jazz Ensemble
 * Things Are Looking Up — Moe Koffman
 * Bones Blues — Pete Magadini
 * More Than Ever — Ted Moses

Comedy Album of the Year
Winner: The Air Farce Comedy Album, The Air Farce Other nominees:
 * Alden Diehl, Fight On
 * Nestor Pistor, Best of Nestor Pistor
 * Nestor Pistor, Nestor Pistor for Prime Minister
 * Nancy White, Civil Service Songwriter

Best Selling Single
Winner: "Hot Child in the City", Nick Gilder
 * Burton Cummings, "Break It to Them Gently"
 * Dan Hill, "Sometimes When We Touch"
 * Anne Murray, "You Needed Me"
 * Martin Stevens, "Love Is in the Air"

Best Selling International Single
Winner: "You're the One That I Want", John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John