Hideyuki Kanaya is a Japanese voice actor, comedian, and musician affiliated with the talent agency 81 Produce. Born on October 4, either in 1964 or 1965, in Annaka, Gunma Prefecture, his career in the entertainment industry began not in voice work but in comedy. He debuted as a comedian in 1988, developing a signature style that combined guitar accompaniment with parody songs. After a temporary retirement from comedy to focus on music, he later returned to the stage, advancing to the semi-finals of the R-1 Grand Prix in 2013 and joining the Manzai Kyōkai in 2017.

Kanaya has built a steady career in voice acting, primarily taking on supporting and guest roles in anime, video games, and Japanese dubs of foreign productions. In anime, he is known for the role of Horigome-sensei in the acclaimed series K-On!! and its subsequent film K-On! The Movie. He also voiced Kunimitsu Yokota in the science fiction comedy Level E and the vice principal in the Recorder and Randsell series. In the 2017 series The Laughing Salesman NEW, he played the character Tetsuya Kamera. Other anime credits include roles in Golgo 13, SKET Dance, The Tatami Galaxy, Cat Planet Cuties, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, and Bakugan: Geogan Rising, where he voiced Krakanoid. More recently, he contributed to the series Narenare -Cheer for You!- in 2024.

Beyond anime, Kanaya has an extensive filmography in video games and dubbing. He provided the voice for Hirata in the original Yakuza game and additional voices in Yakuza 2. His work in Japanese dubbing for Western properties includes voicing Korg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Endgame, Axel the Carnie in Toy Story 4, and Gary Gibbs in Monsters at Work. He has also contributed to Japanese versions of Prison Break, The Dead Zone, and Thomas & Friends. His career reflects a broad range across different media, supported by his background in musical and comedic performance.