1980 Grammy Awards Winners

Winners Announced: February 27, 1980
Held at: Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Host: Kenny Rogers
Eligibility Year: October 1, 1978 – September 30, 1979

Tune Into the Trivia

Kenny’s Kingdom: Host Kenny Rogers was already a huge name in country music by this time, and his hosting role elevated the genre’s profile at the Grammys.
Disco Inferno: The year 1980 was a crucial year for disco. The Bee Gees were still riding the wave of their late-’70s success and snagged multiple nominations.
Sibling Harmony: The Doobie Brothers won Record of the Year for “What a Fool Believes,” which Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins co-written.
Thrills and ‘Trills’: Billy Joel’s 52nd Street won Album of the Year, making him one of the notable artists to leap from pop to a more rock-oriented sound.
The Diva’s Start: This year marked one of the earliest Grammy wins for Donna Summer, setting the stage for her reign as the “Queen of Disco.”
From Films to Grammys: “Afternoon Delight” by the Starland Vocal Band, famously featured in the movie Anchorman, won Best Arrangement for Voices.
Wings Take Flight: Paul McCartney’s band, Wings, was honored for their rock performance, showcasing that The Beatles’ members could find success even after the iconic group disbanded.

1980 Grammy Winners

Record of the Year:
What a Fool Believes – Doobie Brothers

Album of the Year:
52nd Street, Billy Joel (Columbia)

Song of the Year:
What a Fool Believes – Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, songwriters

Best New Artist:
Rickie Lee Jones

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male:
52nd Street, Billy Joel

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female:
I’ll Never Love This Way Again – Dionne Warwick

Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Duo, Group or Chorus:
Minute by Minute, Doobie Brothers

Best Pop Instrumental Performance:
Rise – Herb Alpert

Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male:
Gotta Serve Somebody – Bob Dylan

Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female:
Hot Stuff – Donna Summer

Best Rock Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group:
Heartache Tonight – Eagles

Best Rock Instrumental Performance:
Rockestra Theme – Wings

Best Rhythm and Blues Song:
After the Love Has Gone – David Foster, Jay Graydon and Bill Champlin, songwriters

Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Male:
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson

Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female:
Deja Vu – Dionne Warwick

Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance By a Duo, Group or Chorus:
After the Love Has Gone – Earth, Wind and Fire

Best Rhythm and Blues Instrumental Performance:
Boogie Wonderland – Earth, Wind and Fire

Best Disco Recording:
I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor (Polydor)

Best Jazz Vocal Performance:
Fine and Mellow, Ella Fitzgerald

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist:
Jousts, Oscar Peterson

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group:
Duet, Gary Burton and Chick Corea

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band:
At Fargo, 1940 Live, Duke Ellington

Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental:
8:30, Weather Report

Best Country Song:
You Decorated My Life – Debbie Hupp and Bob Morrison, songwriters

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male:
The Gambler – Kenny Rogers

Best Country Vocal Performance, Female:
Blue Kentucky Girl, Emmylou Harris

Best Country Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group:
The Devil Went Down to Georgia – Charlie Daniels Band

Best Country Instrumental Performance:
Big Sandy/Leather Britches – Doc and Merle Watson

Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational:
Heed the Call, Imperials

Best Gospel Performance, Traditional:
Lift Up the Name of Jesus, Blackwood Brothers

Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary:
I’ll Be Thinking of You, Andrae Crouch

Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional:
Changing Times, Mighty Clouds of Joy

Best Latin Recording:
Irakere, Irakere (Columbia)

Best Inspirational Performance:
You Gave Me Love (When Nobody Gave Me a Prayer), B.J. Thomas

Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording:
Muddy Mississippi Waters Live, Muddy Waters (Sky/CBS)

Best Instrumental Arrangement:
Soulful Strut – Claus Ogerman, arranger

Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s):
What a Fool Believes – Michael McDonald, arranger

Best Instrumental Composition:
Main Title Theme From Superman – John Williams, composer

Best Cast Show Album:
Sweeney Todd, Stephen Sondheim, composer and Iyricist (RCA)

Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special:
Superman, John Williams, composer (Warner Bros.)

Best Classical Album:
Brahms, Symphonies Complete, Sir Georg Solti conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra (London)

Best Classical Orchestral Recording:
Brahms, Symphonies Complete, Sir Georg Solti conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra (London)

Best Chamber Music Performance:
Copland, Appalachian Spring, Dennis Russell Davies conducting St. Paul Chamber Orchestra

Best Classical Performance, Instrumental:
Soloist(s) (With Orchestra) Bartók, Concertos for Piano nos. 1 and 2, Maurizio Pollini; Abbado conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (Without Orchestra):
The Horowitz Concerts 1978/79, Vladimir Horowitz

Best Opera Recording:
Britten, Peter Grimes, Colin Davis conducting Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; solos: Vickers, Harper and Summers (Philips)

Best Choral Performance, Classical (Other Than Opera):
Brahms, A German Requiem, Sir Georg Solti, conductor and Margaret Hillis, choral director, Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra

Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance:
O Sole Mio, Luciano Pavarotti

Best Comedy Recording:
Reality… What a Concept, Robin Williams (Casablanca)

Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording:
Ages of Man (Readings From Shakespeare), Sir John Gielgud (Caedmon)

Best Recording for Children:
The Muppet Movie, Jim Henson, creator (Atlantic)

Best Album Package:
Breakfast in America, Mike Doud and Mick Haggerty, art directors (A&M)

Best Album Notes:
Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy Sessions, Bob Porter and James Patrick, annotators (Savoy)

Best Historical Reissue:
Billie Holiday (Giants of Jazz) (Time Life)

Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):
Larry Butler

Classical Producer of the Year:
James Mallinson