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:

Male Vocalist of the Year

Winner: Gino Vannelli Other nominees:

Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year

Winner: Claudja Barry Other nominees:

Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year

Winner: Nick Gilder Other nominees:

Group of the Year

Winner: Rush Other nominees:

Most Promising Group of the Year

Winner: Doucette Other nominees:

Composer of the Year

Winner: Dan Hill (Co-composer with Barry Mann), "Sometimes When We Touch" by Dan Hill Other nominees:

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:

Instrumental Artist of the Year

Winner: Liona Boyd Other nominees:

Producer of the Year

Winner: Gino Vannelli, Joe Vannelli & Ross Vannelli, Brother to Brother by Gino Vannelli Other nominees:

Recording Engineer of the Year

Winner: Ken Friesen, Let's Keep It That Way by Anne Murray Other nominees:

Canadian Music Hall of Fame

Winner: Hank Snow

Nominated and winning albums

Best Selling Album

Winner: Dream of a Child, Burton Cummings Other nominees:

Best Album Graphics

Winner: Alan Gee & Greg Lawson, Madcats by Madcats Other nominees:

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

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

Comedy Album of the Year

Winner: The Air Farce Comedy Album, The Air Farce Other nominees:

Nominated and winning releases

Best Selling Single

Winner: "Hot Child in the City", Nick Gilder

Best Selling International Single

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