About Amna @IAmAmnaNawaz
Amna Nawaz serves as co-anchor of PBS News Hour.
Prior to joining PBS News Hour in April 2018, Nawaz was an anchor and correspondent at ABC News, anchoring breaking news coverage and leading the network’s livestream coverage of the 2016 presidential election. Before that, she served as foreign correspondent and Islamabad Bureau Chief at NBC News. She is also the founder and former managing editor of NBC’s Asian America platform, built in 2014, to elevate stories from America’s fastest-growing and most diverse population.
At the News Hour, Nawaz has reported from the White House, across the country, and around the world on a range of topics including politics, immigration, foreign affairs, education, gun violence, criminal justice reform, the climate, culture, and sports.
She also serves as an NBC News and MSNBC contributor.
Throughout her career, she has covered major events such as the January 6th attacks on the U.S. Capitol; the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas; the elections and inaugurations of President Joe Biden, President Donald J. Trump, and President Barack Obama; Hurricane Katrina; the 2010 Haiti earthquake; the U.S. war in Afghanistan; and the September 11th attacks.
Nawaz has interviewed multiple heads of state and international leaders including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. She has interviewed numerous lawmakers and administration officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Nawaz has also interviewed newsmakers across industries, including acclaimed director Ava Duvernay, actor Riz Ahmed, WNBA star Sue Bird, and country singer Reba McEntire.
Nawaz was part of the News Hour teams honored with a Peabody Award in 2024 for its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, in 2023 for its coverage of the gun violence epidemic in America, including her on-the-ground coverage of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and in 2022 for News Hour’s coverage of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Nawaz previously won a Peabody for her documentary work on 2019’s “The Plastic Problem,” examining global plastic pollution and efforts to address it. Her other documentaries include “Raising the Future,” a 2021 documentary on America’s childcare crisis; and 2022’s “Life After Lockup,” which followed the lives of four formerly-incarcerated people to track the challenges of re-entry after prison.
In 2020, Nawaz hosted a criminal justice podcast, “Broken Justice,” which was named a finalist for the Silver Gavel Awards, honoring work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. She also hosted 2021’s “The Longest Year,” a pandemic-focused podcast series on the many ways Covid-19 changed Americans’ lives.
Nawaz has hosted three seasons of the primetime PBS series, “Beyond the Canvas,” featuring profiles and interviews of some of the world’s leading artists, musicians, and creators.
In 2019, Nawaz became the first Asian American and the first Muslim American to moderate a presidential debate.
While at ABC News, Nawaz hosted the documentary, “Roberts County: A Year in the Most Pro-Trump Town,” following four families’ lives over President Trump’s first year in office. She also hosted the podcast series, “Uncomfortable” for ABC News Radio, featuring in-depth, one-on-one conversations with thought leaders on the issues dividing America.
While at NBC News, she was the first foreign journalist to gain access to North Waziristan – then the global hub of Al Qaida and the Taliban - while pregnant with her first daughter.
Nawaz was a Fall 2021 Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Asian American Journalists Association, the South Asian Journalists Association, and the Inter-American Dialogue.
In 2023, Nawaz was named an A100 honoree by Gold House. She was the recipient of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies’ Vision Award and the Media Award from the Muslim Affairs Public Council’s Media Award in 2022. She has also been honored with the American Muslim Institution’s Excellence in Media Award in 2018 and an Emmy award as part the 2009 NBC News Special “Inside the Obama White House.”
She is the first-generation American daughter of Pakistani parents, born and raised in Virginia. Nawaz earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where she captained the varsity field hockey team and studied abroad at the University of Zimbabwe. She later earned her master’s degree from the London School of Economics.
She lives with her husband, Paul, and their two daughters in the Washington, D.C. area.
Amna’s Recent Stories
Politics Aug 09
Capehart and Johnson on if Harris can sustain the momentum and pressure on TrumpWashington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart and Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including Vice President Kamala Harris selecting Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Sen. JD Vance's attacks on…
World Aug 09
A look at Team USA’s golden run at the Olympics in ParisThe Paris Olympics will come to a close on Sunday and Team USA is eyeing a strong finish to an already golden games. For more on the ups and downs of the Olympics, Amna Nawaz spoke with Christine Brennan of…
Politics Aug 08
With Harris gaining in the polls, a look at how the electoral map has changedAs the two newly-cemented tickets continue to make their case to voters, the recent shake-ups in the race have led to a reshuffling of the electoral math to win. The Cook Political Report is out with updated ratings for the…
Politics Aug 08
Pelosi discusses her book, ‘The Art of Power,’ and voices confidence in Harris’ chancesAfter nearly 40 years of working in the Capitol, Nancy Pelosi has played a central role in some of the most consequential American events of the last two decades. That is the focus of her new book, "The Art of…
World Aug 08
New details emerge on Vienna terror plots behind Taylor Swift concert cancellationsTaylor Swift’s concerts in Austria were called off after officials arrested two teenagers accused of plotting a terrorist attack. Roughly 200,000 people were scheduled to attend the sold-out Vienna shows. To discuss the threats, Amna Nawaz spoke with Juliette Kayyem,…
Politics Aug 07
Harris and Walz kick off battleground state tour on first full day as Democratic ticketWith crisscrossing rallies, campaign cash hauls and social media jabs, the 2024 presidential hopefuls made their cases to the American public today. For Vice President Kamala Harris, it was a chance to familiarize voters with her newly minted running mate.
Politics Aug 07
Democratic, GOP strategists analyze Harris-Walz ticket and Trump’s tactics against themWith only 90 days until Election Day, the candidates are focusing on the swing states that will decide this year's race. To discuss the latest developments, including Kamala Harris picking Tim Walz as her running mate, Amna Nawaz spoke with…
Politics Aug 07
Dearborn mayor: ‘The door is cracked open’ for Harris to address frustrations over GazaWhen President Biden was the Democratic candidate, he faced intense scrutiny from many Muslim and Arab Americans over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. The city of Dearborn, Michigan, is home to one of the largest populations of Muslim Americans.
Politics Aug 06
A look at Walz’s record and how he could bolster Democratic support in the MidwestThe contestants for this November’s presidential race are officially set. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is joining Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris as her running mate. Propelled into the national limelight, one of his greatest challenges will be introducing himself to…
Politics Aug 06
New poll shows where presidential race stands as Harris picks Walz as running mateWith the pick of Tim Walz, the 2024 matchup is set and shaping up to be another razor-thin election. A new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll shows Kamala Harris with a three-point lead over Donald Trump nationally, within the poll's margin of…