Amna Nawaz Biography
Amna Nawaz is a multi-award-winning American-Pakistani media personality serving as the co-anchor of PBS NewsHour alongside Geoff Bennett. She also serves as an NBC News and MSNBC contributor. She joined PBS NewsHour in April 2018. Previously, she was an anchor and correspondent at ABC News, anchoring breaking news coverage and leading the network’s livestream coverage of the 2016 presidential election.
Amna Nawaz Age
Nawaz was born on 18 September 1979, in Virginia, United States.
Amna Nawaz Height
She stands at a height of 1.7 m.
Amna Nawaz Ethnicity/Nationality
She is of Pakistani descent and holds American nationality.
Amna Nawaz Education
Nawaz attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Virginia. She then joined the University of Pennsylvania where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in politics, philosophy, and economics in 2001. While at the University Nawaz co-captained the women’s varsity field hockey team.
Nawaz also holds a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics. She wanted to be a lawyer but after a fellowship at ABC News, she shifted to journalism. She initially worked for Nightline.
Amna Nawaz Parents/Family
Amna was born and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. Her Pakistani parents raised her alongside her two sisters. Her father Shuja Nawaz is the brother of former Pakistani Army chief Asif Nawaz Janjua. He was also a television reporter and anchor in his native Pakistan. Shuja moved to the United States for better opportunities for his family and to work at the IMF and World Bank and his family was one of the few families of color in Alexandria.
Amna Nawaz Husband
Amna is married to her husband Paul Werdel. The couple tied the knot in 2007 and are blessed with two daughters Karam and Lina. Werdel, a former New York Times product manager left his job to be the primary caregiver for their children. He has also been instrumental in Amna’s ascent especially after she joined PBS in 2018. Amna lives with her husband and their two daughters in the Washington, D.C. area.
Amna Nawaz PBS NewsHour
Nawaz co-anchors PBS NewsHour. Before joining PBS NewsHour 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. She also served as a foreign correspondent and Islamabad Bureau Chief at NBC News. In addition, Nawaz is 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 NewsHour, Nawaz has reported from the White House, across the country, and worldwide on various 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 interviewed numerous lawmakers and administration officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. In addition, Nawaz has 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 NewsHour’s team honored with a Peabody Award 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. She was also part of the team honored with a Peabody Award in 2022 for Newshour’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 of 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.
Amna Nawaz Salary
Nawaz’s exact salary is unknown. However, it is estimated to be in the range of $200,000 to $300,000 per year.
Amna Nawaz Net Worth
Nawaz has an estimated net worth of $2 million as of May 2024.
