Lester Holt will step down as NBC Nightly News anchor at the start of summer. He will take on a full-time role at Dateline, where he has been the principal anchor for nearly 15 years. NBC has not yet named his successor.
Holt joined NBC Nightly News in 2007 as a weekend anchor and became the main host in 2015. He also co-anchored Weekend TODAY for over a decade and has led Dateline since 2011. Reflecting on his career, he expressed gratitude, recalling his start as a 20-year-old radio reporter in San Francisco.
During his time at Nightly News, Holt covered major global events, including Donald Trump’s rise, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He also reported on the ongoing Gaza conflict. Recently, he co-anchored NBC’s election night, interviewed Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, and led a Dateline special on the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
NBC News executives praised Holt’s leadership. Janelle Rodriguez, EVP of programming, called him “the beating heart of this news organization.” She highlighted his ability to guide viewers through difficult times while remaining a trusted journalist.
Holt has been with NBC News since 2000. He has won multiple Emmy Awards and received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2019. As he moves into a bigger role at Dateline, his legacy remains strong.
