1980 Governor General's Awards

Template:Short description Template:Sources Each winner of the 1980 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.

English

Category	Winner	Nominated
Fiction	Template:Blue ribbon George Bowering, Burning Water<ref name="poet">Template:Cite news</ref>	Susan Musgrave, The Charcoal Burners Leon Rooke, Fat Woman
Non-fiction	Template:Blue ribbon Jeffrey Simpson, Discipline of Power: The Conservative Interlude and the Liberal Restoration<ref name=poet/>	John Fraser, The Chinese: Portrait of a People Donald MacKay, Scotland Farewell: The People of the Hector
Poetry or drama	Template:Blue ribbon Stephen Scobie, McAlmon's Chinese Opera<ref name=poet/>	Douglas Lochhead, High Marsh Road

French

Category	Winner	Nominated
Fiction	Template:Blue ribbon Pierre Turgeon, La première personne<ref name=poet/>	Gilbert La Rocque, Les masques Hélène Ouvrard, La noyante
Non-fiction	Template:Blue ribbon Maurice Champagne-Gilbert, La famille et l'homme à délivrer du pouvoir<ref name=poet/>	Jean-Luc Hétu, Croissance humaine et instinct spirituel Yvan Lamonde, La philosophie et son enseignement au Québec
Poetry or drama	Template:Blue ribbon Michel van Schendel, De l'oeil et de l'écoute<ref name=poet/>	Nicole Brossard, Amantes Gilles Cyr, Ce lieu