8th ACTRA Awards

Date

April 4, 1979

Hosted by

Gordon Pinsent, Don Harron

Highlights

Best TV Program

A Gift to Last

Best Radio Program

The Other Self

Television/radio coverage

Network

CBC Television

← 7th ·

ACTRA Awards

· 9th →

The 8th ACTRA Awards were presented on April 4, 1979.^[1] The ceremony was hosted by Gordon Pinsent for television categories, and Don Harron for radio categories.^[1]

Television

Best Television Program	Earle Grey Award
A Gift to Last^[2] The Champions^[3] Tyler^[3]	Helen Burns, Catsplay^[2] Robin Gammell, The Jesus Trial^[3] R. H. Thomson, Tyler^[3]
Best Continuing TV Performance	Best Supporting TV Performance
Gordon Pinsent, A Gift to Last^[2] Ruth Springford, A Gift to Last^[3] Al Waxman, King of Kensington^[3]	Murray Westgate, Tyler^[2] Donald Davis, The Newcomers: "1832"^[3] Moya Fenwick, Catsplay^[3]
Best TV Variety Performance	Best Television Host
Brian McKay, Clowns^[2] Patsy Gallant, The Patsy Gallant Show^[3] Rich Little, Rich Little's Christmas Carol^[3]	Roy Bonisteel, Man Alive^[2] Hana Gartner, Take 30^[3] Brian Linehan, City Lights^[3]
Best Television Public Affairs Broadcaster	Best Children's Television Program
*Eric Malling, The Fifth Estate: "Law for Sale"^[2] Roy Bonisteel, Man Alive^[3] Adrienne Clarkson, The Fifth Estate*^[3]	Pencil Box^[2] Encounter with Orion^[3] The Friendly Giant^[4]
Best Writing, Television Drama	Best Writing, Television Comedy/Variety
Roy MacGregor, Tyler^[2] Carol Bolt, One Night Stand^[3] Charles Israel and George Ryga, The Newcomers: "1927"^[3]	Jeri Craden, Rob Iscove and Peter Mann, Clowns^[2] Benjamin Gordon and Lorne Frohman, The Rimshots^[3] Johnny Wayne, Frank Shuster, Ted Lonsdale and Kate Lonsdale, Wayne and Shuster^[3]
Best Writing, Documentary
*John Kastner, The Fifth Estate: "Four Women"^[2] Eric Malling, The Fifth Estate^[3] Harry Rasky, The Peking Man*^[3]

Radio

Best Radio Program	Best Radio Host
The Other Self^[2] Signature: "McCarthyism and the Arts"^[3] Sunday Morning: "Operation White Knight"^[3]	Warren Davis, Panning for Gold^[2] Don Harron, Morningside^[3] Betty Kennedy, The Betty Kennedy Show^[3]
Best Radio Actor	Best Radio Variety Performance
Ruth Springford, The Other Self^[2] Marilyn Lightstone, The Other Self^[3] Florence Paterson, A Place to Come Back To^[3]	Gay Claitman, Robert Cameron and Nancy White, Lies My Mother Told Me^[2] Dave Broadfoot, Royal Canadian Air Farce^[3] Nancy White, Sunday Morning^[3]
Best Radio Public Affairs Broadcaster	Best Writing, Radio Drama
*Terence McKenna, Sunday Morning: "Regina v Roberts"^[2] Arthur Cole, Gordon Sinclair and Betty Kennedy, Let's Discuss It^[3] Barbara Frum and Alan Maitland, As It Happens*^[3]	Tom Gallant, Darlin' Dolly^[2] Margaret Atwood, Estelle^[3] Marian Waldman, Beth and Rosamund^[3]
Best Writing, Radio Variety	Best Writing, Radio Documentary
Gay Claitman and Nancy White, Lies My Mother Told Me^[2] Roger Abbott, Dave Broadfoot, Martin Bronstein, Don Ferguson and John Morgan, Royal Canadian Air Farce^[3] W.O. Mitchell, Live at the St. Lawrence^[3]	*Terence McKenna and Stuart McLean, Sunday Morning: "Operation White Knight"^[2] Robert Harris and Bob McKeown, Muhammad Ali^[3] Rob Lucy and Jay Mowat, Albert Establishment*^[3]

Journalism and special awards

Gordon Sinclair Award	Foster Hewitt Award
Barbara Frum, As It Happens^[2] Robert Cooper, Ombudsman^[3] John Robertson and Mike Allder, 24 Hours^[3]	Brian Williams^[2] Ernie Afaganis^[3] Dave Hodge^[3]
John Drainie Award
Ruth Springford^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b "CBC sweeps ACTRA Awards". North Bay Nugget, April 5, 1979.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v "List of winners". North Bay Nugget, April 5, 1979.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao "Front-runners picked for ACTRA Awards". Montreal Star, March 24, 1979.
^ The initial Canadian Press article reporting the winners erroneously identified The Friendly Giant as a co-winner in this category alongside Pencil Box; however, a correction was subsequently published indicating that Pencil Box was the sole winner.

Canadian Screen Awards

By year

Canadian Film Awards
(film, 1949–1978)

Genie Awards
(film, 1979–2012)

ACTRA Awards
(television, 1972–1986)

Gemini Awards
(television, 1986–2012)

Film awards
by category

Television awards
by category

Discontinued awards

Bijou Awards (1981)
Actor (1968-2022)
Actor - Non-Feature (1969–81)
Actress (1968-2022)
Actress - Non-Feature (1969–81)
Lead Performance in a Film (2022)
Lead Actor, Comedy Series (1986-2022)
Lead Actor, Drama Series (1986-2022)
Lead Actress, Comedy Series (1986-2022)
Lead Actress, Drama Series (1986-2022)
Supporting Actor, Comedy Series (1986-2022)
Supporting Actor, Drama Series (1986-2022)
Supporting Actress, Comedy Series (1986-2022)
Supporting Actress, Drama Series (1986-2022)
Foreign Actor (1980–83)
Foreign Actress (1980–83)
Supporting Actor (1968-2022)
Supporting Actress (1968-2022)
Supporting Performance in a Film (2022)
Theatrical Short (1949–96)
Children's or Youth Program (1986-2002)
Host, Children's or Youth Program (2008-2016)
Individual or Ensemble Performance in a Comedy (1992-2000)
Ensemble Performance in a Comedy (2001-2011)
Individual Performance in a Comedy (2001-2010)
John Drainie Award (1968-2000)
Special Achievement
Foster Hewitt Award (1975-1986)
Wendy Michener Award (1969-1978)
Diversity Award (1992-2016)

Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
Note: Awards by year articles are listed here by the year of eligibility for nomination; due to variable scheduling of the ceremonies, this is not always the same year in which the awards were presented.