An award recognizing outstanding contributions to Kannada literature:

Jnanpith Award
Pam Kanna Award
Nadoja Award
Saraswati Samman

The correct answer is: A) Jnanpith Award

The Jnanpith Award is the highest literary award in India. It is awarded annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a non-profit organization based in New Delhi. The award was instituted in 1965 by the Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Trust. It is given to an author for his/her outstanding contribution to literature in any of the 22 official languages of India. The award consists of a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, a shawl, a plaque, and a citation.

The award has been given to 57 authors, including 12 Kannada writers. The first Kannada writer to receive the award was P. Lankesh in 1976. The other Kannada writers who have received the award are D. R. Bendre (1982), U. R. Ananthamurthy (1994), Girish Karnad (1997), Chandrashekhara Kambara (2009), K. S. Narasimhaswami (2014), and B. M. Srikantaiah (2018).

The Pam Kanna Award is a literary award given by the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi to Kannada writers for their outstanding contribution to literature. The award was instituted in 1986. It consists of a cash prize of ₹50,000, a plaque, and a citation.

The Nadoja Award is a literary award given by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat to Kannada writers for their outstanding contribution to literature. The award was instituted in 1992. It consists of a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, a gold medal, and a citation.

The Saraswati Samman is a literary award given by the Kendriya Sahitya Akademi to Indian writers for their outstanding contribution to literature. The award was instituted in 1972. It consists of a cash prize of ₹10 lakh, a plaque, and a citation.