American Talent
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Lester Holt, Anchor for ABC News
Lester Holt's career exemplifies the importance of journalists to a healthy democracy by his unwavering dedication to accuracy and fairness. He is a symbol of honesty and dependability, qualities vital to the success of the media. His commitment and skill as a journalist have helped to shape American broadcasting.
Lester Holt, one of the most recognizable names in American television news, is a model of reliability, honesty, and professionalism in his field. His steady attitude and dedication to relaying the facts have won over millions of viewers as the lead anchor of NBC's Nightly News.
Holt became an anchor at Chicago's WBBM-TV in 1986 and spent the next 14 years covering major news stories like the Iraq conflict, the civil conflict in El Salvador, and the 1989 earthquake that devastated the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Path to NBC: Holt started at MSNBC in 2000, and by 2003, he was the weekend anchor for NBC's flagship newscast. His dedication to reporting at this time earned him multiple honors in the field of journalism.
In 2015, Holt made history as the first African-American woman to serve as the sole anchor of a weekday network evening newscast when she took over NBC's Nightly News. Since then, he has reported on some of the decade's most momentous news, including the election and presidency of Donald Trump, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Holt has been commended for his even-handed but tough moderation of the first presidential debate of 2016, which he also moderated, and other high-profile interviews and debates. His interview with the president, in which Trump admitted that the Russia probe played a role in his decision to remove FBI Director James Comey, was also much praised.
Holt has been honored for his work in journalism with a number of prestigious awards throughout the course of his career, including several Emmys and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.
Beginnings in Life and Work in Broadcasting:
Lester Holt, a California native who was born that year in Marin County, took an early interest in radio. At 16, he got his foot in the door of the broadcasting industry by interning at a country and western radio station. After graduating from California State University, Sacramento with a degree in government, he pursued a career in journalism and, in 1981, got his first on-air reporting job at New York's WCBS-TV.Holt became an anchor at Chicago's WBBM-TV in 1986 and spent the next 14 years covering major news stories like the Iraq conflict, the civil conflict in El Salvador, and the 1989 earthquake that devastated the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Path to NBC: Holt started at MSNBC in 2000, and by 2003, he was the weekend anchor for NBC's flagship newscast. His dedication to reporting at this time earned him multiple honors in the field of journalism.
In 2015, Holt made history as the first African-American woman to serve as the sole anchor of a weekday network evening newscast when she took over NBC's Nightly News. Since then, he has reported on some of the decade's most momentous news, including the election and presidency of Donald Trump, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Holt has been commended for his even-handed but tough moderation of the first presidential debate of 2016, which he also moderated, and other high-profile interviews and debates. His interview with the president, in which Trump admitted that the Russia probe played a role in his decision to remove FBI Director James Comey, was also much praised.
Holt has been honored for his work in journalism with a number of prestigious awards throughout the course of his career, including several Emmys and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.
