Udupi Rajagopalacharya Ananthamurthy (Kannada: ಉಡುಪಿ ರಾಜಗೋಪಾಲಾಚಾರ್ಯ ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿ; 21 December 1932 – 22 August 2014) was a contemporary writer and critic in the Kannada language born in Thirtahalli Taluk and is considered as one of the pioneers of the Navya movement. He is the sixth writer to be honored with the Jnanpith Award for the Kannada language, the highest literary honour conferred in India. In 1998, he received the Padma Bhushan award from the Government of India.