On March 5, 2025, NBC News revealed that its senior national correspondent, Tom Llamas, will succeed Lester Holt as the anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News.”
Llamas, a 45-year-old Miami, Florida native, will commence his new duties in the summer. He will make history as the first Latino journalist to host the weeknight edition of the esteemed news show. While fulfilling his new role, Llamas will continue to anchor “Top Story with Tom Llamas” on NBC News NOW.
NBC News’ Executive Vice President of programming, Janelle Rodriguez, praised Llamas for his journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling, and unwavering integrity, citing these traits as the cornerstones of “NBC Nightly News.”
Llamas expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and expressed his excitement about collaborating with the proficient journalists at “Nightly News” and “Top Story.” He also paid tribute to Holt, recognizing him as “a great man” and a “trusted broadcaster.”
After a decade of anchoring “NBC Nightly News,” Holt will transition to a full-time role at “Dateline NBC.” During an internal staff call, Holt expressed confidence in Llamas as his successor.
Llamas’s journey in journalism began with an internship at a local Telemundo station and a stint as an overnight production assistant at NBC News. His career evolved through roles at WTVJ in Miami, Florida, and WNBC in New York, New York, before he joined ABC News in 2014 as the weekend anchor of “ABC World News Tonight.”
While at ABC, Llamas made headlines during the 2016 presidential campaign when he questioned then-candidate Donald Trump about discrepancies in reports surrounding funds raised for veterans groups during a televised event. Trump responded by labeling Llamas as “sleazy.”
When asked why he was termed a sleaze, Trump retorted, “You’re a sleaze because you know the facts, and you know the facts well.” Llamas later took to social media, posting, “Trump just called me a ‘sleaze.’ Should be an interesting week.” ABC defended their reporter, lauding him as one of the most esteemed and courteous journalists in the country.
In 2021, Llamas returned to NBC News after seven years at ABC, serving as Holt’s primary substitute on “NBC Nightly News” while also anchoring his streaming show “Top Story.” His dual role as anchor of the standard broadcast and his streaming program reflects the evolving media landscape. Llamas will anchor “Nightly News” from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST and then immediately transition to his streaming program, making him the first anchor to retain his streaming duties while assuming the network evening news role.
Llamas, the son of Cuban immigrants, graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and kicked off his broadcasting career with the NBC News Specials Unit in 2000. Throughout his illustrious career, he has garnered multiple Emmy Awards, including honors for “Best Anchor” and “Best Hard News Story” in 2013 and two Edward R. Murrow awards for his reporting.
“NBC Nightly News” continues to be a major player in television, consistently ranking in the top five regularly scheduled programs across all TV, with broadcasts reaching millions of viewers. Llamas’ appointment arrives during a transition period for network evening newscasts, as CBS News recently replaced Norah O’Donnell with John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois.
Llamas, married to Jennifer since 2006, resides in Purchase, New York, with their three children.
