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.

Table of contents
1 English Language
2 French Language
3 Other Governor General's Awards:

English Language

Fiction

Winner:

Other Finalists:

Poetry and Drama

Winner:

  • Stephen Scobie, McAlmon's Chinese Opera

Other Finalist:
  • Douglas Lochhead, High March Road

Nonfiction

Winner:

  • Jeffrey Simpson, Discipline of Power: The Conservative Interlude and the Liberal Restoration

Other Finalists:
  • John Fraser, The Chinese: Portrait of a People
  • Donald MacKay, Scotland Farewell: The People of the Hector

French Language

Fiction

Winner:

Other Finalists:
  • Gilbert LaRocque, Les masques
  • Hélène Ouvrard, La noyante

Poetry and Drama

Winner:

  • Michel Van Schendel, De l'oeil et de l'écoute

Other Finalists:

Nonfiction

Winner:

  • Maurice Champagne-Gilbert, La famille et l'homme à délivrer du pouvoir

Other Finalists:
  • Jean-Luc Hétu, Croissance humaine et instinct spirituel
  • Yvan Lamonde, La philosophie et son enseignement au Québec

Other Governor General's Awards:

2003 - 2002 - 2001 - 2000 - 1999 - 1998 - 1997 - 1996 - 1995 - 1994 - 1993 - 1992 - 1991 - 1990 - 1989 - 1988 - 1987 - 1986 - 1985 - 1984 - 1983 - 1982 - 1981 - 1980 - 1979 - 1978 - 1977 - 1976 - 1975 - 1974 - 1973 - 1972 - 1971 - 1970 - 1969 - 1968 - 1967 - 1966 - 1965 - 1964 - 1963 - 1962 - 1961 - 1960 - 1959 - 1958 - 1957 - 1956 - 1955 - 1954 - 1953 - 1952 - 1951 - 1950 - 1949 - 1948 - 1947 - 1946 - 1945 - 1944 - 1943 - 1942 - 1941 - 1940 - 1939 - 1938 - 1937 - 1936