Lester Holt steps down from NBC Nightly News, shifts focus to Dateline after a decade as anchor

Lester Holt is stepping down from NBC Nightly News after 10 years to take on a full-time role at Dateline.

Lester Holt, who has served as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News for the past decade, announced Monday that he will be stepping down from the broadcast at the beginning of the summer. However, he will continue his tenure at NBC News in a full-time role at Dateline, where he has been the principal anchor for nearly 15 years, according to a memo shared with network staff. NBC has yet to announce his successor.

Holt became the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News in June 2015 after hosting its weekend editions for eight years. He also co-anchored Weekend TODAY for 12 years and has led Dateline since 2011. Reflecting on his career, Holt expressed gratitude for his journey, noting that as a 20-year-old radio reporter covering breaking news in San Francisco, he never imagined the trajectory his career would take.

During his tenure at Nightly News, Holt covered some of the most significant global events of the past decade, including the political rise of former President Donald Trump, the Covid pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the ongoing war in Gaza. Recently, he co-anchored NBC’s election night coverage, conducted an exclusive interview in Iran with President Masoud Pezeshkian, and led a Dateline special on the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

NBC News executives praised Holt’s leadership, with Janelle Rodriguez, executive vice president of programming, calling him “the beating heart of this news organization.” She highlighted his ability to guide the network through some of the country’s most challenging moments while remaining one of the most trusted news figures in America.

Holt, who joined NBC News in 2000, has received multiple Emmy Awards and was honored with the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2019. As he transitions into his expanded role at Dateline, his legacy as a trusted voice in American journalism remains firmly established.