Las Vegas — The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show returned to Las Vegas for the first time in two years. News anchor Lester Holt and “The Price is Right” were honored with NAB Television Hall of Fame Awards on Sunday afternoon.
Lester Holt has been anchoring and reporting for the “NBC Nightly News” since June 18, 2015. He also serves as anchor of the long-running newsmagazine “Dateline NBC.”
“I want to thank my NBC colleagues for that amazing and touching video,” Holt said as he accepted his award. “I think of the places I’ve gone the people I’ve met and interviewed to help tell a story. I love broadcasting. I love journalists. I have so much belief for its future. I also accept this honor on behalf of my colleagues at ‘Dateline NBC.’ It’s important that none of us forget where we came from. Yes, fame, sometimes comes from the job. What we do is for our audiences.“
Popular game show “The Price is Right” is celebrating its 50th anniversary on American television this year. The NAB honored both host Drew Carey and Kimberly Kleid (senior vice president at FremantleMedia, the company that produces the game show).
Drew Carey took over as host of “TPIR” on Oct. 15, 2007 after Bob Barker finished his 35-year run from 1972-2007.
“It’s really an honor to be here,” Carey said during his acceptance speech. “Bob was so good as being the host. Bob Stewart invented ‘The Price is Right’ in 1956. He wanted to originally call it ‘The Auctioneer.’ It’s humbling to be a part of this legacy to be a part of this show. It’s really amazing. We recently did a show that marked our 50th anniversary. I think a show like this could be on for 100 years on American television because it’s just so strong. Bob gave me the best advice: ‘Don’t copy me…just make it your own show.’”
Both of the television awards were presented by Perry Sook, CEO of Nexstar Media Group.
As for the radio category, the winners included the team from NPR’s long-running radio show “All Things Considered” and disc jockey Jim Bohannon from “The Jim Bohannon Show.” Kevin Delaney accepted the award on behalf of Bohannon who was not in attendance.
“Thank you so much for this honor,” said Ailsa Chang, one of the hosts from “All Things Considered.” “It is awesome to be sharing this moment with all of you in person. First, thank you for all of the 2021 winners to crash the 2022 party. I cannot tell you how proud I am to somehow have stumbled into this job that is part of a show that has become such an important part of peoples lives for over half a century. What the creator of ‘All Things Considered’ wanted, from the very beginning, was a national news show that actually sounded like America where the hosts were given license to be human, to be accessible, to be people that could connect with the individuals they interviewed with genuine curiosity and empathy. To this day, I still believe that radio is the most intimate medium out there.”
The NAB Digital Leadership award is a new category and was presented to Jeremy Sinon from Hubbard Radio. The Francis Preston Trailblazer award was presented to Michelle Duke, NAB Chief Diversity Officer and president of NAB Leadership Program.
“In Conversation with Nick Cannon”
Global superstar Nick Cannon made a special appearance at NAB on Sunday afternoon. He was interviewed by April Carty-Sipp, executive Vice President of industry affairs at NAB.
The actor-comedian-host discussed his time hosting “America’s Got Talent,” his current hosting gig on “The Masked Singer” and much more.
Can you talk about how you got started in the entertainment industry?
“I started in a church…I got an opportunity at a very young age,” Cannon told the audience. “I knew I could never be a preacher because I sing too much. I was working at a radio station in high school. My dad was a struggling Evangelist. At the age of 11-12, I learned how to do all of that. By the time I was 14-15, I had put together this persona of behind the scenes. It is all about time management. It’s energy management and it’s God given. Where you place your passions. There’s some new endeavors that I get to do. I remember being a kid with a camera. My own kid’s making a Snapchat. Not only are they doing it, but making a businesses out of it.”
We were talking backstage and I was thinking, “The Masked Singer”…that is a crazy idea for a show. Did you think, by any chance, that it was going to be a success?
“I just finished with ‘America’s Got Talent’ and I actually got to that space where I thought, I don’t want to host anything. I love being an artist. Certain times when I host, it can feel like a job. The thing about ‘AGT‘ is all of the talent is what kept me energized. So I never felt like I was at work when I was dealing with the talent. If I ever host again, I need that similar energy. I’d rather do something that has never been done before. When ‘The Masked Singer’ came, I was like that is so crazy, that might be it. I was looking for things to produce. ‘The Masked Singer’ was successful in some other markets internationally. All right, if I put my spin on it and Americanize it, it could actually work. We’ve been pulling it off and going into season eight right now. I think the secret to the sauce is, it truly is family entertainment.”
Cannon was asked about his future plans. What’s next for him?
“I’m just trying to keep up. Hopefully a nap somewhere I’m between. I love being an entertainer. I love the business of it too. I have a lot of irons in the fire but I don’t know which will be the hottest.“
For more information about the NAB Achievement in Broadcasting Awards, visit https://nabshow.com/2022/awards/
The NAB honored both “The Price is Right” host Drew Carey and Kimberly Kleid (senior vice president at FremantleMedia, the company that produces the game show). 
Lester Holt, anchor of “NBC Nightly News” 
Ailsa Chang, one of the hosts from “All Things Considered” accepts the NAB Radio Hall of Fame award. 
Radio host Ailsa Chang 
The Francis Preston Trailblazer award was presented to Michelle Duke, NAB Chief Diversity Officer and president of NAB Leadership Program.