Amna Nawaz Biography
Amna Nawaz is a prominent American broadcast journalist and co-anchor of PBS NewsHour, where she teams up with Geoff Bennett. Before making her way to PBS in April 2018, she held significant positions as an anchor and correspondent at both ABC News and NBC News. Over the years, Nawaz has garnered numerous accolades, including an Emmy Award and recognition from the Society for Features Journalism.
She kicked off her career at NBC in 2003, later contributing to Dateline NBC, where she worked on various documentary projects. As part of NBC’s investigative unit, she played a key role in producing Mortgage Crisis Investigations, which earned an Emmy nomination in 2008 for Business & Financial Reporting.
In 2009, she was honored with a fellowship from the International Reporting Project. The next year, she shared a News & Documentary Emmy Award for the NBC special Inside the Obama White House. She also took on the role of correspondent and bureau chief at NBC’s Islamabad bureau.
Nawaz joined ABC News in 2015, where she anchored coverage of U.S. elections and national politics during 2016 and 2017. She also hosted the ABC podcast series Uncomfortable. In April 2018, she made the switch to PBS.
At PBS NewsHour, Nawaz contributed to the 2018 series The Plastic Problem, which won a Peabody Award in 2019. In December 2019, she made history by becoming the first Asian American to moderate a U.S. presidential debate, co-moderating a Democratic Party debate.
In June 2021, she was named Chief Correspondent of PBS NewsHour. By January 2023, Nawaz stepped into the role of co-anchor of the program alongside Geoff Bennett, taking over from Judy Woodruff.
Outside of her journalism career, Nawaz is also a member of the Inter-American Dialogue, a policy organization based in Washington, D.C.
Age
Amna Nawaz was born on September 18, 1979, in Virginia, USA. That makes her 46 years old as of 2026. She holds both American and Pakistani citizenship.
Education
Amna Nawaz received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and studied abroad at the University of Zimbabwe. She later received her master’s degree from the London School of Economics.
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Wife
Amna Nawaz married Paul Werdel for 17 years. The two got married in 2007. Now, she resides with her husband, Paul, and their two daughters in the Washington, D.C. area.
Amna Nawaz PBS NewsHour
Amna Nawaz is currently making waves as a co-anchor at PBS NewsHour, a role she stepped into back in April 2018, which really marked a turning point in her journalism journey. Before joining PBS, she was shining as an anchor and correspondent at ABC News, where she was instrumental in covering breaking news and led the network’s livestream during the 2016 presidential election.
Prior to her time at ABC, Nawaz was the foreign correspondent and Islamabad Bureau Chief for NBC News. She also founded and served as the managing editor of NBC’s Asian America platform, which launched in 2014 to highlight stories from America’s vibrant and diverse communities.
At PBS NewsHour, Nawaz has tackled a wide range of topics, including politics, immigration, foreign affairs, education, gun violence, criminal justice reform, climate change, cultural issues, and even sports. Besides her work at PBS, she also lends her talents as a correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC.
Throughout her impressive career, Nawaz has reported from key locations like the White House, various U.S. cities, and international hotspots. Her coverage has included significant events such as the January 6th attacks on the U.S. Capitol, the heartbreaking mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and crucial political moments like the elections and inaugurations of Presidents Joe Biden, Donald J. Trump, and Barack Obama.
She has also covered major incidents like Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the U.S. war in Afghanistan, and the September 11th attacks.
Amna Nawaz Wikipedia
Amna Nawaz has had the opportunity to sit down with a variety of heads of state and international leaders, including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Her interviews also feature a wide range of lawmakers and administration officials, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Beyond politics, Nawaz has connected with notable figures from different fields, including acclaimed director Ava Duvernay, actor Riz Ahmed, WNBA star Sue Bird, and country music legend Reba McEntire.
Nawaz’s dedication to journalism hasn’t gone unnoticed; she’s received several prestigious awards. Notably, she was a key member of the NewsHour team that won a Peabody Award in 2023 for their in-depth coverage of the gun violence crisis in America.
This recognition highlighted her on-the-ground reporting during the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Furthermore, she was part of the team that earned a Peabody Award in 2022 for NewsHour’s thorough coverage of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Amna Nawaz has also made a name for herself with her powerful documentary work, winning a Peabody Award for her 2019 film, “The Plastic Problem,” which explored the pressing issue of plastic pollution and the efforts being made to combat it.
Amna Nawaz Career
Her documentary portfolio extends to include “Raising the Future,” a 2021 exploration of America’s childcare crisis, and “Life After Lockup,” a 2022 piece that traced the re-entry challenges faced by four individuals after incarceration.
In 2020, Nawaz took the helm of the criminal justice podcast, “Broken Justice,” a finalist for the Silver Gavel Awards, which commend contributions fostering public understanding of law and the legal system. She also hosted the 2021 podcast series, “The Longest Year,” focusing on the varied ways in which Covid-19 transformed the lives of Americans.
Nawaz has showcased her hosting prowess in the primetime PBS series, “Beyond the Canvas,” spanning three seasons. The series features profiles and interviews with some of the world’s foremost artists, musicians, and creators.
In a groundbreaking achievement, Nawaz became the first Asian American and the first Muslim American to moderate a presidential debate in 2019. During her tenure at ABC News, she hosted the documentary “Roberts County: A Year in the Most Pro-Trump Town,” chronicling the lives of four families during President Trump’s initial year in office. Additionally, she hosted the podcast series “Uncomfortable” for ABC News Radio, engaging in in-depth conversations with thought leaders on divisive issues in America.
Amna Nawaz Awards
While with NBC News, Nawaz achieved a significant milestone as the first foreign journalist to gain access to North Waziristan, then a global hub for Al Qaeda and the Taliban, all while pregnant with her first daughter.
Further adding to her accomplishments, Nawaz served as a Fall 2021 Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service. She is an active member of notable organizations, including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Asian American Journalists Association, the South Asian Journalists Association, and the Inter-American Dialogue.
Amna Nawaz received several prestigious honors, named an A100 honoree by Gold House in 2023. She was also the recipient of the Vision Award from the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and the Media Award from the Muslim Affairs Public Council in 2022.
Her contributions to media were acknowledged with the Excellence in Media Award from the American Muslim Institution in 2018. She also earned an Emmy award as part of the 2009 NBC News Special, “Inside the Obama White House.”
Amna Nawaz Salary
Nawaz receives an annual salary ranging from $42,544 – to $90,769. However, details about the exact salary he earns are currently unavailable.
Amna Nawaz’s Net Worth
Amna Nawaz, an award-winning journalist, anchor, and correspondent has an estimated net worth of $2 million.