Grammy Awards 1979

La 21ª edizione dei Grammy Award si è tenuta il 15 febbraio 1979 presso lo Shrine Auditorium di Los Angeles, ed è stata condotta da John Denver.

Candidature

Assoluti

Registrazione dell'anno (Record of the Year)

• Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
• Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
• Feels So Good - Chuck Mangione
• Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees
• You Needed Me - Anne Murray

Album dell'anno (Album of the Year)

• Saturday Night Fever - AA.VV.
• Even Now - Barry Manilow
• Grease - AA.VV.
• Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
• Some Girls - The Rolling Stones

Canzone dell'anno (Song of the Year)

• Just the Way You Are - Billy Joel
• Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees
• Three Times a Lady - Commodores
• You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Neil Diamond e Barbra Streisand
• You Needed Me - Anne Murray

Miglior artista esordiente (Best New Artist)

• A Taste of Honey
• The Cars
• Elvis Costello
• Chris Rea
• Toto

Bambini

Miglior registrazione per bambini (Best Recording for Children)

• The Muppet Show
• Charlie Brown's All-Stars
• Peter and the Wolf - David Bowie e la Philadelphia Orchestra
• Sesame Street Fever

Musica classica

Miglior interpretazione di un'orchestra classica (Best Classical Orchestral Performance)

• Beethoven: Symphonies (9) (Complete) - Herbert von Karajan e la Berliner Philharmoniker
• Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring - Zubin Mehta e la New York Philharmonic
• Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 - André Previn e la Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 in D Minor - Leonard Slatkin e la Saint Louis Symphony
• Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony - André Previn e la London Symphony Orchestra
• Mendelssohn: Symphonies (5) (Complete) - Kurt Masur e la Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
• Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D Major - Claudio Abbado e la Wiener Philharmoniker
• Holst: The Planets - Neville Marriner e la Concertgebouw Orchestra
• Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor - Carlo Maria Giulini e la Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Varèse: Ameriques; Arcana; Ionisation (Boulez Conducts Varese) - Pierre Boulez e la New York Philharmonic

Miglior interpretazione vocale solista di musica classica (Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance)

• Luciano Pavarotti - Hits From Lincoln Center - Luciano Pavarotti
• Favorite Zarzuela Arias - Teresa Berganza
• The Legend: The Unreleased Recordings - Maria Callas
• Wagner: Arias - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
• Ravel: Sheherazade - Marilyn Horne
• Brahms: Spring Rhapsody - Christa Ludwig
• Mussorgsky: Songs and Dances of Death - Galina Višnevskaja

Miglior registrazione operistica (Best Opera Recording)

• Lehár: The Merry Widow - Julius Rudel, Beverly Sills, Alan Titus e la New York City Opera Orchestra

Miglior interpretazione corale di musica classica (opera esclusa) (Best Choral Performance, Classical (other than opera))

• Beethoven: Missa Solemnis - Georg Solti, Margaret Hillis e la Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

Miglior interpretazione strumentale solista di musica classica (con orchestra) (Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with orchestra))

• Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30 - Vladimir Horowitz, la New York Philharmonic e Eugene Ormandy (direttore)
• Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77 - Itzhak Perlman, la Chicago Symphony Orchestra e Carlo Maria Giulini (direttore)
• Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 21 - Emanuel Ax, la Philadelphia Orchestra e Eugene Ormandy (direttore)
• Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104, BB. 191, Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33 - Mstislav Rostropovič, la London Philharmonic Orchestra e Carlo Maria Giulini (direttore)
• Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467, Piano Concerto No. 9 in E Flat Major, K. 271 - Murray Perahia (solista e direttore) e la English Chamber Orchestra
• Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto in F Minor - Emanuel Ax, la Philadelphia Orchestra e Eugene Ormandy (direttore)

Miglior interpretazione strumentale solista di musica classica (senza orchestra) (Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra))

• The Horowitz Concerts 1977/1978 - Vladimir Horowitz
• Bach: Italian Concerto; Choral Prelude;Prelude S922; Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue; Fantasy and Fugue - Alfred Brendel
• Beethoven: The Late Piano Sonatas - Maurizio Pollini
• Beethoven: Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli - Charles Rosen
• Debussy: Preludes for Piano, Books I and II - Paul Jacobs
• Liszt: 12 Transcendental Etudes and 3 Etudes de Concert - Claudio Arrau
• Rudolf Serkin of Television - Rudolf Serkin

Miglior interpretazione di musica da camera (Best Chamber Music Performance)

• Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano (Complete) - Itzhak Perlman e Vladimir Aškenazi
• Bartók: Quartet No. 2 for Strings, Op. 17; Quartet No. 6 - Tokyo String Quartet
• Duets for 2 Violins - Itzhak Perlman e Pinchas Zukerman
• John Williams and Friends - John Williams, Carlos Bonell, Brian Gascione, Morris Pert e Keith Marjoram
• Mozart: Quartets for Piano and Strings - Arthur Rubinstein e i membri del Guarneri Quartet
• Schubert: Quintet in C Major for Strings - Melos Quartet e Mstislav Rostropovič
• The Art of the Recorder - David Munrow (direttore), David Munrow Recorder Consort e i membri della Early Music Consort of London

Miglior album di musica classica (Best Classical Album)

• Brahms: Concerto for Violin in D Major - Carlo Maria Giulini e la Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor (New World) - Carlo Maria Giulini e la Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in G Major - Claudio Abbado e la Wiener Philharmoniker
• Sibelius: Symphonies (Complete) - Colin Davis e la Boston Symphony Orchestra
• Beethoven: Symphonyies (9) (Complete) - Herbert von Karajan e la Berliner Philharmoniker
• Nielsen: Maskarade - John Frandsen e la Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
• Bach: Mass in B Minor - Neville Marriner e l'Academy of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields
• Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D Minor for Piano - Horowitz Golden Jubilee - Vladimir Horowitz (direttore), Eugene Ormandy e la New York Philharmonic

Canzone umoristica

Miglior album umoristico (Best Comedy Album)

• A Wild and Crazy Guy - Steve Martin
• On Stage - Lily Tomlin
• Sex and Violins - Martin Mull
• The Wizard of Comedy - Richard Pryor
• The Rutles - The Rutles

Composizione e arrangiamento

Miglior composizione strumentale (Best Instrumental Composition)

• Theme From Close Encounters of the Third Kind - John Williams

Miglior colonna sonora originale scritta per un film o uno speciale televisivo (Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special)

• Close Encounters of the Third Kind - John Williams
• Holocaust - Morton Gould
• Battlestar Galattica - Stu Phillips, John Andrew Tartaglia, Sue Collins, Glen A. Larson
• Midnight Express - Giorgio Moroder, Christine Bennett, David Castle, Billy Hayes, Oliver Stone
• Revenge of the Pink Panther - Henry Mancini, Leslie Bricusse

Miglior arrangiamento strumentale (Best Instrumental Arrangement)

• The Wiz Main Title - Overture Part One - Quincy Jones e Robert L. Freedman

Miglior arrangiamento strumentale e vocale (Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocals)

• Got to Get You into My Life - Maurice White

Miglior arrangiamento per voci (Best Arrangement For Voices)

• Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees
• Cry Me a River - Singers Unlimited
• High Clouds - Vocal Jazz Inc.
• Rotunda - McCoy Tyner
• Stuff Like That - Quincy Jones

Musica country

Miglior interpretazione vocale femminile di musica country (Best Country Vocal Performance, Female)

• Here You Come Again (singolo) - Dolly Parton
• Talking in Your Sleep - Crystal Gayle
• Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town - Emmylou Harris
• Sleeping Single in a Double Bed - Barbara Mandrell
• Walk Right Back - Anne Murray

Miglior interpretazione vocale maschile di musica country (Best Country Vocal Performance, Male)

• Georgia on My Mind - Willie Nelson
• I've Always Been Crazy - Waylon Jennings
• Let's Take the Long Way Around the World - Ronnie Milsap
• Take This Job and Shove It - Johnny Paycheck
• Softly, as I Leave You - Elvis Presley
• Love or Something Like It - Kenny Rogers

Miglior interpretazione vocale di un duo o gruppo di musica country (Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or a Group)

• Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys - Waylon Jennings e Willie Nelson
• Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight - Kenny Rogers e Dottie West
• Cryin' Again - Oak Ridge Boys
• Do You Know You Are My Sunshine - The Statler Brothers
• If the World Ran Out of Love Tonight - Jim Ed Brown ed Helen Cornelius
• On My Knees - Charlie Rich e Janie Fricke

Miglior interpretazione strumentale di musica country (Best Country Instrumental Performance)

• One O'Clock Jump - Asleep at the Wheel
• Banjo Bandits - Roy Clark e Buck Trent
• Cookin' Country - Danny David e i Nashville Brass
• Steel Guitar Rag - Roy Clark
• Under the Double Eagle - Doc Watson e Merle Watson

Miglior canzone country (Best Country Song)

• The Gambler - Kenny Rogers
• Every Time Two Fools Collide - Kenny Rogers e Dottie West
• Let's Take the Long Way Around the World - Ronnie Milsap
• Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys - Waylon Jennings e Willie Nelson
• Take This Job and Shove It - Johnny Paycheck

Folk

Miglior registrazione di musica etnica o tradizionale

• I'm Ready - Muddy Waters
• Chicago Blues at Home - AA.VV.
• Clifton Chenier and His Red Hot Louisiana Band in New Orleans - Clifton Chenier
• I Hear Some Blues Downstairs - Fenton Robinson
• U.S.A. - Memphis Slim & His House Rockers feat. Matt "Guitar" Murphy

Gospel

Miglior interpretazione di musica gospel tradizionale (Best Gospel Performance, Traditional)

• Refreshing - The Happy Goodman Family
• Elvis' Favorite Gospel Songs - J.D. Summer & the Stamps Quartet
• His Amazing Love - Blackwood Brothers
• Sunshine and Roses - Cathedral Quartet
• The Old Rugged Cross - George Beverly Shea

Miglior interpretazione di musica gospel contemporanea o ispirazionale (Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational)

• What a Friend - Larry Hart
• Come On, Ring Those Bells - Evie
• Imperials Live - The Imperials
• Destined To Be Yours - McGuire
• The Lady Is A Child - Reba

Miglior interpretazione di musica soul-gospel tradizionale (Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional)

• Live and Direct - Mighty Clouds of Joy
• Amazing Grace - Gladys McFadden e le Loving Sisters
• I Don't Feel Noways Tired - James Cleveland & the Southern California Community Choir, Doretha Wade (direttrice)
• Special Appearance - Rev. Isaac Douglas feat. the San Francisco Community Singers
• Tomorrow - James Cleveland & the Charles Fold Singers, Charles Fold (direttore)

Miglior interpretazione di musica soul contemporanea (Best Soul Performance, Contemporary)

• Live in London - Andraé Crouch & the Disciples
• Because He's Jesus - Highland Park Community Choir, Inc.
• Danniebelle Live In Sweden with Choralerna - Danniebelle e i Choralerna
• Love Alive II - Walter Hawkins
• Reach Out and Touch - Shirley Caesar
• You Light Up My Life - Loleatta Holloway

Miglior interpretazione di musica ispirazionale (Best Inspirational Performance)

• Happy Man - B. J. Thomas
• Behold' - Billy Preston
• First Class - The Boones
• Goin' Up In Smoke - Larry Hart
• He Touched Me - Tennessee Ernie Ford
• Precious Memories - Anita Kerr

Incisioni storiche

Miglior ripubblicazione di un album storico

• The Lester Young Story, Vol. 3 (Lester Young) - Michael Brooks (produttore)
• A Bing Crosby Collection, Vols. I & II (Bing Crosby) - Michael Brooks (produttore)
• The First Recorded Sounds 1888 to 1929 (AA.VV) - George Garabedian (produttore)
• The Greatest Group of Them All (The Ravens) - Bob Porter (produttore)
• La Divina (Maria Callas) - Peter Andry e Walter Legge (produttori)

Jazz

Miglior interpretazione strumentale jazz solista (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist)

• Oscar Peterson Jam - Montreux '77 - Oscar Peterson

Miglior interpretazione strumentale jazz di un gruppo (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group)

• Friends - Chick Corea

Miglior interpretazione strumentale jazz di una big band (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band)

• Live in Munich - Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

Miglior interpretazione vocale jazz (Best Jazz Vocal Performance)

• All Fly Home - Al Jarreau

Musica latina

Miglior registrazione di musica latina

• Homenaje a Beny Moré - Tito Puente
• Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo - Eddie Palmieri
• Coro Miyare - Fania All-Stars
• Laurindo Almeida Trio - Laurindo Almeida
• Mongo a la Carte - Mongo Santamaría
• La Raza Latina - Orchestra Harlow

Spettacoli musicali

Miglior album di un cast di uno spettacolo (Best Cast Show Album)

• Ain't Misbehavin' - Thomas Shepard
• Beatlemania
• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
• The King and I
• On the Twentieth Century

Formati

Miglior package di un album (Best Album Package)

• Boys in the Trees (Carly Simon) - Johnny Lee e Tony Lane
• Heads (Bob James) - John Berg e Paula Scher
• The Cars (The Cars) - Ron Coro
• Out of the Woods (Oregon) - Ron Coro e Johnny Lee
• Last Kiss (Fandango) - Gribitt e Tim Bryant
• Bruce Roberts (Bruce Roberts) - Tony Lane
• Children of Sanchez (Chuck Mangione) - Juni Osaki
• Non-Fiction (Steve Kuhn) - Barbara Wojirsch

Migliori note di un album

• Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy Sessions (Charlie Parker) - Bob Porter e James Patrick
• Giants of Jazz: Billie Holiday (Billie Holiday) - Melvin Maddocks
• Giants of Jazz: Duke Ellington (Duke Ellington) - Dan Morgenstern e Stanley Dance
• The Magical Music of Walt Disney (Artisti vari) - Dick Schory
• Hoagy Carmichael: A Legendary Performer and Composer (Hoagy Carmichael) - Richard M. Sudhalter

Pop

Miglior interpretazione vocale pop femminile (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female)

• You Needed Me - Anne Murray
• Hopelessly Devoted to You - Olivia Newton-John
• You Belong to Me - Carly Simon
• You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Barbra Streisand
• MacArthur Park - Donna Summer

Miglior interpretazione vocale pop maschile (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male)

• Copacabana (At the Copa) - Barry Manilow
• Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
• I Just Wanna Stop - Gino Vannelli
• Running on Empty - Jackson Browne
• Sometimes When We Touch - Dan Hill

Miglior interpretazione vocale pop di un duo, gruppo o coro (Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus)

• Saturday Night Fever - Bee Gees
• Three Times A Lady - Commodores
• Got To Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind & Fire
• The Closer I Get to You - Roberta Flack e Donny Hathaway
• FM (No Static At All) - Steely Dan

Miglior interpretazione pop strumentale (Best Pop Instrumental Performance)

• Children of Sanchez - Chuck Mangione
• Guitar Monsters - Chet Atkins e Les Paul
• Star Wars e Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Zubin Mehta e la Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
• The Pink Panther Theme ('78) - Henry Mancini
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind - John Williams

Produzione e ingegneria del suono

Miglior produzione di una registrazione, non classica (Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical)

• FM (No Static At All) (Steely Dan) - Roger Nichols e Al Schmitt (ingegneri del suono)
• All 'N All (Earth, Wind & Fire) - George Massenburg (ingegnere del suono)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind (John Williams) - John Neal (ingegnere del suono)
• Pyramid (The Alan Parsons Project) - Alan Parsons (ingegnere del suono)
• Sounds...and Stuff Like That!! (Quincy Jones) - Bruce Swedien (ingegnere del suono)
• A Tribute to Ethel Waters (Diahann Carroll) - Allen Sides e John Neal (ingegneri del suono)

Miglior produzione di una registrazione, musica classica (Best Engineered Recording, Classical)

• Varese: Ameriques/Arcana/Ionisation (Boulez Conducts Varese) - Arthur Kendy, Edward T. Graham, Ray Moore (ingegneri del suono), Pierre Boulez (direttore) e la New York Philharmonic

Produttore dell'anno (Producer of the Year)

• Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten e Karl Richardson
• Peter Asher
• Phil Ramone
• Quincy Jones
• Alan Parsons

R&B

Miglior interpretazione vocale R&B femminile (Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female)

• Last Dance - Donna Summer
• I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round) - Alicia Bridges
• Our Love - Natalie Cole
• Minnie - Minnie Riperton
• Almighty Fire - Aretha Franklin
• I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan

Miglior interpretazione vocale R&B maschile (Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male)

• On Broadway - George Benson
• Close the Door - Teddy Pendergrass
• Dance With Me - Peter Brown
• I Can See Clearly Now - Ray Charles
• When You Hear Lou, You've Heard It All - Lou Rawls

Miglior interpretazione vocale R&B di un duo, gruppo o coro (Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus)

• All 'N All - Earth, Wind & Fire
• Boogie Oogie Oogie - A Taste of Honey
• Ease on Down the Road - Diana Ross e Michael Jackson
• Natural High - Commodores
• Use ta Be My Girl - The O'Jays

Miglior interpretazione R&B strumentale (Best R&B Instrumental Performance)

• Runnin - Earth, Wind & Fire
• Images - The Crusaders
• Modern Man - Stanley Clarke
• Streetwave - Brothers Johnson
• Sweet and Sour - Average White Band

Miglior canzone R&B (Best R&B Song)

• Last Dance - Donna Summer
• Use ta Be My Girl - The O'Jays
• Fantasy - Earth, Wind & Fire
• Boogie Oogie Oogie - A Taste of Honey
• Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) - Chic

Spoken Word

Miglior album parlato (Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording)

• Citizen Kane (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)- Orson Welles
• Wuthering Heights - Judith Anderson, Claire Bloom, James Mason, George Rose & Gordon Gould
• The Grapes of Wrath - Henry Fonda
• The Nixon Interviews with David Frost - Richard Nixon e David Frost
• Roots (Original Television Soundtrack) - AA.VV.