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After announcing that the 19th Annual GRAMMY Awards marked his seventh time as host of the show, Andy Williams told the audience at the Hollywood Palladium, “I’m very proud of this Academy. There aren’t many institutions that would go to so much time and care just to throw an annual get-together for <a href="/grammys/artists/stevie-wonder">Stevie Wonder</a>.” Williams then explained that Wonder would not be in the audience tonight, but would instead appear by satellite from Lagos, Nigeria.

Indeed, this would be the most global GRAMMY show yet, as it was transmitted via satellite to Hong Kong and the Far East. “I can just picture a Chinese family sitting in front of their television set with their chop sticks in hand watching all this silver and all this glitter and singing a gospel song along with the Oak Ridge Boys,” Williams noted.

That Chinese family would have seen Best Gospel Performance winners the Oak Ridge Boys sing the nominations in the category of Best Inspirational Performance—a category presented on air for the first time and won by Gary S. Paxton. They would have also witnessed a wide range of notable performances from the likes of Natalie Cole (“Mr. Melody”), Sarah Vaughan (“Tenderly”), Chet Atkins and Les Paul (“Deed I Do” from their album Chester &amp; Lester, which won the Best Country Instrumental Award), and Barry Manilow, who performed “I Write The Songs,” which had already won Song Of The Year earlier in the evening for songwriter Bruce Johnston. Arguably, Manilow also should have been presented a special GRAMMY for Biggest Bow Tie.

The Starland Vocal Band, who won Best New Artist over competition that included Boston, the Brothers Johnson, Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band and white funk band Wild Cherry, performed “Afternoon Delight.” This remains a relatively rare instance of a folky foursome paying a musical tribute to midday sexual interludes while backed by an orchestra.

One performance that was hard to see and barely heard because of a technical malfunction was Stevie Wonder’s performance of “Sir Duke” from his Songs In The Key Of Life album. After considerable buildup, the remote performance ended up illustrating the risk of going global. Indeed, Neil Armstrong’s performance from the moon eight years earlier was transmitted more clearly. Nevertheless, it was another good GRAMMY night for Wonder who won Album Of The Year; Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male; Best R&amp;B Vocal Performance, Male; and Best Producer Of The Year.

Other big winners for artistic achievement in America’s bicentennial year included <a href="/grammys/artists/george-benson">George Benson</a> who won three GRAMMYs, including Record Of The Year for his breakthrough hit “This Masquerade” and Best Pop Instrumental Performance for his Breezin’ album. Benson also got to team up with a characteristically witty Richard Pryor to present the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Performance to no less a legend than <a href="/grammys/artists/ella-fitzgerald">Ella Fitzgerald</a> for Fitzgerald And Pass…Again.

Other notable presenters included Gladys Knight And The Pips who offered a salute to one of The Academy’s chapter cities—Atlanta—that even included a little “Midnight Train To Georgia.” Ringo Starr and Paul Williams had a great deal of fun presenting the GRAMMY for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, to <a href="/grammys/artists/linda-ronstadt">Linda Ronstadt</a> for Hasten Down The Wind. The pair tap danced their way to the podium where Starr said of the diminutive Williams, “Well, they promised me Paul Newman and look what I got.” And best of all was Bette Midler who helped turn the mood around after Wonder’s performance from a distance didn’t pan out. After wrapping part of what looked to be the 100-foot train of her dress around her head and declaring herself “The Ghost of GRAMMYs Past,” the Divine Miss M noted, “It’s always nice to visit L.A.—the home of absolutely nothing. Except, of course, the music business—a business in which you are only as good as your last two minutes and 42 seconds.”

This Masquerade

If You Leave Me Now (Single)

I Write The Songs (Single)

Afternoon Delight

50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (Single)

Record Of The Year

Songs In The Key Of Life

Silk Degrees (Album)

Frampton Comes Alive

Chicago X (Album)

Breezin' (Album)

Album Of The Year

The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald (Single)

I Write The Songs

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (Single)

Song Of The Year

Best New Artist Of The Year

Westchester Lady

The Disaster Movie Suite

Saudade Do Brazil

Life Is Just A Game

Leprechaun's Dream

Best Instrumental Arrangement

Sentimental Journey

Let 'em In (Single)

If You Leave Me Now

Green Dolphin Street

Boto (Porpoise)

Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

I Get Along Without You Very Well

Can't Hide Love

Bohemian Rhapsody

Ain't Misbehavin'

Best Arrangement For Voices (Duo, Group Or Chorus)

The King James Version (Album)

The Dream Weaver (Album)

Tales Of Mystery And Imagination- Edgar Allan Poe (Album)

Somewhere I've Never Travelled (Album)

Breezin'

Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical

The End Of The Beginning (Album)

Schumann: Sym. No. 1 In B-Flat, Op. 38/ Manfred: Overture, Op. 115 (Album)

Presence (Album)

Mirrors (Album)

Coney Island Baby (Album)

Chicago X

Bellavia (Album)

Best Album Package

The Complete Tommy Dorsey, Volume 1/1935 (Album)

The Changing Face Of Harlem - The Savoy Sessions

The Blue Sky Boys (Bill And Earl Bolick) (Album)

Caruso - A Legendary Performer (Album)

Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos (Album)

Best Album Notes

Best Producer Of The Year

Where Is Love? (Album)

Quire (Album)

Porgy And Bess (Album)

More Sarah Vaughan Live In Japan (Album)

Fitzgerald And Pass...Again

Best Jazz Vocal Performance

Works Of Art (Album)

The New Phil Woods Album (Album)

Donna Lee (Track)

Commitment (Album)

Clark Terry And His Jolly Giants (Album)

Basie And Zoot

Best Jazz Performance By A Soloist (Instrumental)

The Paul Desmond Quartet Live (Album)

The Leprechaun

Since We Met (Album)

Jaco Pastorius (Album)

Basie And Zoot (Album)

Best Jazz Performance By A Group

The Ellington Suites

New Life (Album)

Long Yellow Road (Album)

Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods (Album)

Best Jazz Performance By A Big Band

Turn The Beat Around (Single)

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (Album)

Natalie (Album)

Here, There And Everywhere (Track)

Hasten Down The Wind

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female

You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine (Single)

This Masquerade (Track)

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male

I'd Really Like To See You Tonight (Single)

Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Single)

Bohemian Rhapsody (Single)

Afternoon Delight (Single)

Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus

Wired (Album)

Contusion (Track)

Back To Back (Album)

A Fifth Of Beethoven (Single)

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Sophisticated Lady (She's A Different Lady)

Something He Can Feel (Single)

Misty Blue (Single)

Love Hangover (Single)

Lean On Me (Single)

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female

Lowdown (Single)

I Wish

I Want You (Album)

I Need You, You Need Me (Single)

Groovy People (Track)

Disco Lady (Single)

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male

You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)

Rubberband Man (Single)

Play That Funky Music (Track)

Gratitude

(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty (Single)

Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus

Theme From Good King Bad

Keep That Same Old Feeling (Album)

Hope That We Can Be Together Soon (Single)

Doin' It (Single)

Brass Construction (Album)

After The Dance (Track)

Best R&B Instrumental Performance

Misty Blue

Lowdown

Disco Lady

Best Rhythm & Blues Song

War On Sin (Album)

Touch Me - Volume II (Album)

This Is Another Day (Album)

How I Got Over

Give It To Me (Album)

Best Soul Gospel Performance

Tonite! At The Capri Lounge Loretta Haggers (Album)

I'll Get Over You (Single)

Elite Hotel

All I Can Do (Album)

'Til I Can Make It On My Own (Single)

Best Country Vocal Performance, Female

I'd Have To Be Crazy (Single)

Forever Lovers (Album)

Broken Lady (Single)

Are You Ready For The Country (Album)

(I'm A) Stand By My Woman Man

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male

Your Picture In The Paper (Single)

The Letter (Single)

The End Is Not In Sight (The Cowboy Tune)

Route 66 (Single)

Golden Ring (Single)

Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group

Texas (Album)

Long Hard Ride (Single)

I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes (Single)

Chester And Lester

Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain (Single)

Best Country Instrumental Performance

The Door Is Always Open (Single)

Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life

Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High) (Single)

Dropkick Me, Jesus

Broken Lady

Best Country Song

The Astonishing, Outrageous, Amazing, Incredible, Unbelievable, Different World of Gary S. Paxton