The 1979 Society of West End Theatre Awards were held in 1979 in London at the Café Royal, celebrating excellence in West End theatre by the Society of West End Theatre. The awards would not become the Laurence Olivier Awards, as they are known today, until the 1984 ceremony.
Winners and nominees
Details of winners (in bold) and nominees, in each award category, per the Society of London Theatre.
{ | class=wikitable width="100%" |- ! width="50%" | Play of the Year ! width="50%" | Musical of the Year |- | valign="top" | Betrayal by Harold Pinter – National TheatreNight and Day by Tom Stoppard – Phoenix The Crucifer of Blood by Arthur Conan Doyle, adapted by Paul Giovanni – Theatre Royal Haymarket Undiscovered Country by Arthur Schnitzler, adapted by Tom Stoppard – National Theatre | valign="top" | Songbook – GlobeAin't Misbehavin' – Her Majesty's Bar Mitzvah Boy – Adelphi Chicago – Cambridge |- ! colspan=1| Comedy of the Year |- | Middle-Age Spread by Roger Hall – LyricClouds by Michael Frayn – Duke of York's Outside Edge by Richard Harris – Queen's Theatre |- ! style="width="50%" | Actor of the Year in a New Play ! style="width="50%" | Actress of the Year in a New Play |- | valign="top" | Ian McKellen as Max in Bent – Royal Court / CriterionMichael Gambon as Jerry in Betrayal – National Theatre Dinsdale Landen as Mervyn in Bodies – Ambassadors John Standing as Benedict in Close of Play – National Theatre | valign="top" | Jane Lapotaire as Édith Piaf in Piaf – RSC at the WarehouseConstance Cummings as Emily Stilson in Wings – National Theatre Gemma Jones as Helen Stott in And a Nightingale Sang – Queen's Theatre Jessica Tandy as Fonsia Dorsey in The Gin Game – Lyric |- ! style="width="50%" | Actor of the Year in a Revival ! style="width="50%" | Actress of the Year in a Revival |- | valign="top" | Warren Mitchell as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman – National TheatreMichael Bryant as David Roberts in Strife – National Theatre Jonathan Pryce as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew – RSC at the Aldwych Patrick Stewart as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice – RSC at the Warehouse | valign="top" | Zoë Wanamaker as May Daniels in Once in a Lifetime – RSC at the AldwychPaola Dionisotti as Kate Minola in The Taming of the Shrew – RSC at the Aldwych Glenda Jackson as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra – RSC at the Aldwych Billie Whitelaw as Winnie in Happy Days – Royal Court |- ! style="width="50%" | Actor of the Year in a Musical ! style="width="50%" | Actress of the Year in a Musical |- | valign="top" | Anton Rodgers as Various in Songbook – GlobeTony Britton as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady – Adelphi Michael Crawford as Charlie Gordon in Charlie and Algernon – Queen's Theatre Ben Cross as Billy Flynn in Chicago – Cambridge | valign="top" | Virginia McKenna as Anna Leonowens in The King and I – London PalladiumCarol Channing as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly – Theatre Royal Drury Lane Antonia Ellis as Velma Kelly in Chicago – Cambridge Liz Robertson as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady – Adelphi |- ! colspan=1| Comedy Performance of the Year |- | Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage in A Night with Dame Edna – Piccadilly Richard Griffiths as George Lewis in Once in a Lifetime – RSC at the Aldwych Oscar James as Meadowlark Warner in Gloo Joo – Criterion Maureen Lipman as Maggie in Outside Edge – Queen's |- ! style="width="50%" | Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role ! style="width="50%" | Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role |- | valign="top" | Patrick Stewart as Mark Antony in Antony and Cleopatra – RSC at the Aldwych Michael Bryant as Dr.