Brian Williams

News journalist Brian Williams covered almost every major breaking news event and traveled around the world, often finding himself in a position to watch history unfold as it happened. With the awards to prove it, Williams also had the distinction of being one of the most honored broadcast journalists, garnering a multitude of Edward R. Murrow awards, Emmys, duPont-Columbia University awards, and the industry's highest honor, the George Foster Peabody award. He was also named "Father of the Year" by the National Father's Day Committee in 1996, "Man of the Year," by GQ magazine in 2001 and was on TIME magazine's list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2007. Williams filled the shoes of NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw after the legendary newsman left "NBC Nightly News" in 2004. In his new role as managing editor and anchor of his own nightly newscast, Williams proved his mettle by bolstering the ratings of the show, surpassing those of Katie Couric on CBS and Charles Gibson on ABC. In September 2015, Williams was named chief anchor for MSNBC and headed the network's coverage of Pope Francis' first papal visit to the United States. "The 11th Hour with Brian Williams," with a focus on developing news stories and current political events, debuted on MSNBC on September 6, 2016.