Kristen Welker to receive 2026 John F. Hogan Award

Kristen Welker, moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press” and anchor of “Meet the Press NOW,” will receive the 2026 John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.

Named for the founder and first president of RTDNA, the John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual’s contributions to the journalism profession and freedom of the press. Welker will be honored at the 2026 Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on Oct. 12 in New York City.

“The John F. Hogan Award recognizes individuals whose contributions have left journalism stronger than they found it,” RTDNA Chair Blaise Labbe said. “Kristen has done exactly that through her leadership, service and commitment to the values at the heart of our profession. We are incredibly proud to recognize her impact.”

Welker is the moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press” and anchor of “Meet the Press NOW” on NBC News NOW. She became moderator of “Meet the Press” in September 2023, becoming the second woman and first journalist of color to lead the program. Her reporting and analysis appear across NBC News platforms.

Before taking the moderator’s chair, Welker served as co-anchor of “Weekend TODAY” and NBC News chief White House correspondent, covering the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. During her time covering national politics, she reported on presidential campaigns and major political events and interviewed political leaders in the United States and abroad.

Welker has also played a prominent role in presidential debate coverage. In 2020, she moderated the final presidential debate between President Donald Trump and then-candidate Joe Biden. She co-moderated the NBC News Republican presidential debate in Miami in 2023 and the MSNBC/Washington Post Democratic presidential debate in Atlanta in 2019.

“John F. Hogan understood the essential role a strong and independent press plays in the communities we serve,” said RTDNA President and CEO Tara Puckey. “Kristen has carried those values forward through her remarkable career and enduring commitment to journalism. It is an honor to recognize her with an award that carries Hogan’s legacy.”

Throughout her time as moderator of Meet the Press, Welker has regularly secured some of the biggest interviews in politics. She has had four sit-down interviews with President Trump. This year alone, she has also secured Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s first-ever American television interview, and she became the first network TV correspondent inside Venezuela following the U.S. removal of Nicolás Maduro to interview Interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

Welker is also expanding Meet the Press to a new generation of viewers, putting her signature stamp on the legendary program with the creation of two hallmark segments. She launched “Common Ground,” a network-wide bipartisan franchise featuring conversations with lawmakers from different parties, as well as “Meet the Moment,” a recurring series featuring conversations with influential figures outside Washington, including with actor Olivia Munn, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and author and podcast host Mel Robbins.

Welker has been recognized by numerous journalism organizations. In 2024, she received an RTDNA Foundation First Amendment Award for her commitment to a free press. She is also a recipient of the National Press Club’s Fourth Estate Award and was selected as a 2025 Matrix Award recipient by New York Women in Communications. She has also received recognition from the Washington Association of Black Journalists and the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association.

Before joining NBC News’ White House team in 2011, Welker was an NBC News correspondent based in Burbank, California. She previously worked at WCAU-TV in Philadelphia, where she anchored weekend newscasts and worked as a general assignment reporter, as well as at WLNE-TV in Providence, Rhode Island, and KRCR-TV in Redding, California.

Welker has received Emmy recognition for her work, including an Emmy for NBC News’ coverage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.