1st Genie Awards

The 1st Genie Awards were the first ever Genie Awards. They were presented on March 20, 1980 and honoured films released in 1979. They were given out at a gala event at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto with Bruno Gerussi as host. A luncheon the day before the gala saw the non-feature film awards presented. The show was broadcast on CBC Television and was noted for its Oscars-like production design. The show was not without controversy: Award winner Christopher Plummer used his speech to criticize the distinction made between Canadian and foreign actors. The fact that no French language films won any major awards was also a source of some controversy.

Award winners

*Best Motion Picture — Garth Drabinsky and Joel B. Michaels, "The Changeling"
*Director — Bob Clark, "Murder by Decree"
*Actress — Kate Lynch, "Meatballs"
*Actor — Christopher Plummer, "Murder by Decree"
*Supporting Actor — Gordon Pinsent, "Klondike Fever"
*Supporting Actress — Geneviève Bujold, "Murder by Decree"
*Foreign Actor — George C. Scott, "The Changeling"
*Foreign Actress — Trish Van Devere, "The Changeling"
*Original Script — Len Blum, Dan Goldberg, Janis Allen, "Meatballs"
*Adapted Screenplay — William Gray and Diana Maddox, "The Changeling"
*Art Design — Trevor Williams, "The Changeling"
*Cinematography — John Coquillon, "The Changeling"
*Costume Design — Louise Jobin, "Cordélia"
*Music — Carl Zittrer and Paul Zaza, "Murder by Decree"
*Sound — Joe Grimaldi, Austin Grimaldi, Doni Pigat, Karl Scherer, "The Changeling"
*Sound Editing — Patrick Drummond, Dennis Drummond, Robert Grieve, "The Changeling"