The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) has named NBC News anchor Lester Holt the 2025 winner of the ICFJ Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism. This honor recognizes Holt's exceptional record serving the public with consequential, reliable news coverage for more than four decades.
The award will be presented Nov. 13 at the 2025 ICFJ Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.
Holt is one of the most prominent and respected figures in broadcast journalism today. As anchor and managing editor of "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt," he was twice named "the most-trusted television news personality in America.” He has anchored the network’s flagship broadcast since 2015, and has served as the anchor for the iconic news magazine “Dateline” for 13 years. He also leads NBC News’ coverage of major breaking news and political events.
“For decades, Lester Holt has helped millions make sense of the major news events shaping our world,” said ICFJ President Sharon Moshavi. “With unmatched gravitas and a steadfast dedication to journalistic excellence, Lester Holt has reported from the front lines of history as it unfolds – delivering news we can trust, when it matters most.”
Holt’s deep commitment to providing on-the-ground accounts when disaster and tragedy strike – anywhere in the world – has become a hallmark. This includes reporting from Israel for two weeks after the Oct. 7 attacks, from Ukraine following Russia’s invasion, from Hungary during the 2015 migrant crisis in Europe, and from Afghanistan while embedded with American troops. In the U.S, Holt has reported from the front lines of multiple devastating wildfires, hurricanes and tornadoes. He also led the network’s coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic – and launched an award-winning children’s newscast designed to help explain the stories affecting their lives.
An incisive and thoughtful interviewer, Holt presses heads of state and other world leaders for clarity on high-stakes issues of the day. He has interviewed U.S. Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, among a multitude of other notable public figures.
Originally from California, Holt started out in radio as a college student at California State University in Sacramento. For nearly 20 years, he worked as a reporter or anchor for CBS affiliates in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Holt joined NBC News in 2000 as the anchor of a daily news show on MSNBC. In 2003, he became co-anchor of “Weekend TODAY” and in 2007, anchor of the weekend editions of “NBC Nightly News.”
After a decade, Holt said he will step down this summer as the anchor of “Nightly News” and focus on “Dateline.”
The 2025 ICFJ Awards Dinner will take place Nov. 13 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. At the same event, ICFJ will present the Knight International Journalism Awards, which honor journalists whose pioneering work has made an impact on the lives of people in their countries or regions. The winners of those awards will be announced later this year. They are supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
For more information about the event or to become a sponsor, please visit the 2025 ICFJ Awards Dinner.