Chennaveera Kanavi (28 June 1928 – 16 February 2022) was an Indian Kannada language poet and author.

He was considered one of the major poets and writers in the Kannada language and received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his poem "Jeeva Dhwani" (lit.

[2] Kanavi was born on 28 June 1928 in Hombal, a village in present-day northern Karnataka, to Pravathavva and Sakkareppa.

He followed it with a Master of Arts degree from the same university, studying under the guidance of the then principal, V. K. Gokak, a Jnanpith award winner.

[2] When he moved to Dharwad, he stayed at the Prasada Nilaya, a boarding house of the Murugha Matha, a Lingayat monastery.

He was introduced to Kannada language scholars and Hindustani musicians including Mallikarjun Mansur at the monastery.

Poet Da Ra Bendre wrote the preface for this work and stayed a supporter through his career.

[5] Kanavi died at SDM Medical Hospital in Dharwad, on 16 February 2022, at the age of 93, from multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, resulting as a complication of COVID-19.