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.
Nominees and winners
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
Nominated and winning albums
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