1979 Grammy Awards
At the 1979 Grammy Awards , the US music prizes were awarded for the 21st time.
The Grammys went to musicians in 52 categories from 17 fields.
Main categories
Single of the year (Record of the Year):
- " Just the Way You Are " by Billy Joel
Album of the Year:
- " Saturday Night Fever " soundtrack by various artists
Song of the Year:
- "Just the Way You Are" by Billy Joel (Author: Billy Joel)
Best New Artist:
pop
Best female vocal performance - Pop (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female):
- "You Needed Me" by Anne Murray
Best Male Vocal Performance - Pop (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male):
- "Copacabana (At the Copa)" by Barry Manilow
Best Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal - Pop (Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals):
- " Saturday Night Fever " by the Bee Gees
Best Pop Instrumental Performance - Pop :
Rhythm & Blues
Best female vocal performance - R&B (Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female):
- "Last Dance" by Donna Summer
Best Male Vocal Performance - R&B (Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male):
- "On Broadway" by George Benson
Best Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal - Pop (Best R & B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals):
- "All 'n' All" from Earth, Wind & Fire
Best instrumental performance - R&B (Best R&B Instrumental Performance):
- "Runnin '" from Earth, Wind & Fire
Best R&B Song (Best R&B Song):
- "Last Dance" by Donna Summer (Author: Paul Jabara )
Country
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - Country (Best Country Vocal Performance, Female):
- Here You Come Again by Dolly Parton
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance - Country (Best Country Vocal Performance, Male):
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal):
- Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
Best Performance by a Country Instrumentals (Best Country Instrumental Performance):
- One O'Clock Jump by Asleep at the Wheel
Best Country Song (Best Country Song):
- The Gambler by Kenny Rogers (Author: Don Schlitz)
jazz
Best Jazz Vocal Performance (Best Jazz Vocal Performance):
- All Fly Home by Al Jarreau
Best Jazz Instrumental performance, soloist (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist):
- Montreaux '77 - Oscar Peterson Jam by Oscar Peterson
Best Jazz Instrumental performance, Group (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group):
- Friends from Chick Corea
Best Jazz Instrumental performance, Big Band (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band):
- Live in Munich by the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra
Gospel
Best traditional gospel performance (Best Gospel Performance, Traditional):
- Refreshing from the Happy Goodman Family
Best Contemporary or Inspirational Gospel Performance (Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary Or Inspirational):
- What A Friend by Larry Hart
Best Traditional Soul Gospel Performance (Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional):
- Live And Direct from the Mighty Clouds Of Joy
Best Contemporary Soul Gospel performance (Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary):
- Live In London by Andraé Crouch & The Disciples
Best Inspirational-performance (Best Inspirational Performance):
- Happy Man by BJ Thomas
Latin
Best Latin Recording (Best Latin Recording)
- Homenaje a Beny More by Tito Puente
Folk
Best Ethnofolk- or traditional folk recording (Best Ethnic Or Traditional Recording):
- I'm Ready by Muddy Waters
For children
Best Recording for Children (Best Recording For Children):
- The Muppet Show from the Muppets (Producer: Jim Henson )
language
Best Spoken Recording (Best Spoken Word Recording):
- Citizen Kane by Orson Welles
Comedy
Best Comedy Recording (Best Comedy Recording):
- A Wild and Crazy Guy by Steve Martin
Musical show
Best Cast Show Album (Best Cast Show Album):
- Ain't misbehavin ' by different performers (producer: Thomas Z. Shepard )
Composition / arrangement
Best Instrumental Composition (Best Instrumental Composition):
- Theme From Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Composer: John Williams )
Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special: Best Original Music Album Written For A Movie Or A Television Special:
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Composer: John Williams)
Best Instrumental Arrangement (Best Instrumental Arrangement):
- The Wiz Main Title - Overture Part One by various artists (Arrangers: Quincy Jones , Robert Freedman )
Best arrangement with vocal accompaniment (Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocals):
- Got To Get You Into My Life by Earth, Wind & Fire (Arranger: Maurice White )
Best Vocal Arrangement (Best Arrangement For Voices):
- Stayin 'Alive by the Bee Gees (Arranger: Bee Gees)
Packages and album text
Best Album Package (Best Album Package):
- Boys In The Trees by Carly Simon (Art Direction: Johnny B. Lee, Tony Lane)
Best Album Notes:
- A Bing Crosby Collection, Vols. I & II by Bing Crosby (Author: Michael Brooks)
Historical recordings
Best historical, new Lay-album (Best Historical Repackage Album):
- The Lester Young Story, Vol. 3 by Lester Young (Producer: Michael Brooks)
Production and technology
Best technical recording without classical music (Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical):
- "FM (No Static At All)" by Steely Dan (Technique: Al Schmitt, Roger Nichols)
Best Technical classical recording (Best Engineered Recording, Classical):
- Edgar Varèse: Ameriques / Arcana / Ionisation (Boulez Conducts Varèse) by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Pierre Boulez (technique: Arthur Kendy, Edward T. Graham, Ray Moore)
Producer of the Year (Producer Of The Year):
- The Bee Gees , Albhy Galuten , Karl Richardson
Classical music
Best classical album (Best Classical Album):
- Brahms : “Concerto for Violin in D major” by Itzhak Perlman and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Carlo Maria Giulini
Best Classical Orchestral Performance (Best Classical Orchestral Performance):
- Beethoven : Symphonies 1-9 (complete recording) by the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Herbert von Karajan
Best Opera Recording (Best Opera Recording):
- Lehár : “ The Merry Widow ” by Beverly Sills , Alan Titus and the New York City Opera Orchestra under the direction of Julius Rudel
Best choral performance, classical (without opera) (Best Choral Performance, Classical, Other Than Opera):
- Beethoven: “ Missa solemnis ” by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Georg Solti
Best solo instrument performances with orchestra (Best Classical Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra or Soloists):
- Rachmaninoff : “Concerto No. 3 in D minor for piano” (Horowitz Golden Jubilee) by Vladimir Horowitz and the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Eugene Ormandy
Best solo instrument performance without orchestra (Best Classical Instrumental Soloist Performance or Soloists without Orchestra):
- "The Horowitz Concerts 1977/78" by Vladimir Horowitz
Best chamber music performance (Best Chamber Music Performance):
- Beethoven: “Sonatas for Violin and Piano” by Itzhak Perlman and Wladimir Aschkenasi
Best classical solo vocal performance (Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance):
- "Luciano Pavarotti - Hits From Lincoln Center " by Luciano Pavarotti
Special Merit Awards
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award was not awarded in 1979.