Tom Llamas will replace Lester Holt as the anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” the network announced Wednesday.
Llamas, 45, has anchored “Top Story with Tom Llamas,” a popular hour-long streaming broadcast on NBC News NOW.
“Anchoring ‘NBC Nightly News’ is a profound honor and one that carries tremendous responsibility,” Llamas said in a statement. “Just like Lester, I promise to be devoted to our viewers and dedicated to the truth.”
Holt, 65, announced last week that he plans to step down in the summer after 10 years leading “Nightly News.” However, he’ll remain at NBC and continue to host “Dateline,” as he has done for 15 years.
Even after taking over on “Nightly News,” Llamas will continue leading “Top Story” each night, according to NBC.
“Tom has the winning combination of journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling and unyielding integrity — all characteristics that have long been trademarks of ‘NBC Nightly News,’” said NBC Executive Vice President Janelle Rodriguez.
Llamas began his career in 2000 with low-level jobs at NBC and MSNBC before jumping to the network’s South Florida affiliate, WTVJ, in 2005. He moved to WNBC in New York in 2008 before switching networks to ABC in 2014.
At ABC News, Llamas occasionally filled in for David Muir on the show’s flagship broadcast, “World News Tonight.” But in 2021, he returned to his roots at NBC.
In the past three years, he has covered both the Summer and Winter Olympics, the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, the assassination attempt on President Trump in Pennsylvania and numerous other major stories.