Meet the Miami native and Belen grad who’s replacing Lester Holt on ‘NBC Nightly News’
.jpg "Tom Llamas on the ‘Top Story’ set")
When Miami tunes into the evening national newscast on NBC, viewers will soon see a familiar face.
Starting this summer, when Lester Holt steps down as anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” Tom Llamas will be sitting in his chair, NBC Universal announced Wednesday.
In a statement, Llamas praised Holt, and acknowledged he had some tough shoes to fill: “Just like Lester, I promise to be devoted to our viewers and dedicated to the truth.”
Folks in the 305 already probably know this hometown hero, who was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants and attended Belen Jesuit Preparatory School.
In an Instagram post, the all-boys institution near Kendall congratulated their famous alum, Class of ‘97, writing, “We are very proud of all your accomplishments.“
He went on to attend Loyola University in New Orleans, where he met his wife, fellow journalist Jennifer, 43. They have three kids.
Llamas’ career in journalism kicked off early, as an intern at Telemundo, before heading to NYC to work in several roles. His seasoned background also includes stints at NBC-6 Miami and “ABC World News Tonight,” before returning to NBC for good in 2021.
Since rejoining the network, Llamas has reported across the globe on major breaking news, including the New Orleans terror attack, the war in Ukraine, the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse, the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and numerous natural disasters.
In addition to the “Nightly News” gig, Llamas will stay on as anchor of NBC News NOW’s “Top Story.” Both his 2024 election night and presidential debate coverage led the streaming network to ratings milestones, according to a statement from NBC Universal.
”Tom has the winning combination of journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling and unyielding integrity — all characteristics that have long been trademarks of ‘NBC Nightly News,’” Janelle Rodriguez, EVP for programming, said, adding, “On a personal note, he is a dedicated father and husband who brings humanity and perspective to his reporting.”
Though the Emmy winner now resides in Westchester County, New York, he’ll never forget his Magic City roots.
“Cuban culture a big part of my life. I listen to music from Cuba every single day. I speak Spanish almost every single day,” the newsman wrote in an article for Today in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. “Usually when I meet you, within the first few minutes I will tell you that I’m Cuban American. It’s something that I’m very proud of and it’s something that I was taught to be very proud of.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 3:39 PM.
