Robin Roberts is anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America. Under her leadership, the broadcast has won three consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program.
When not traveling around the country or the world covering breaking news events, Roberts is at GMA’s studio in Times Square conducting interviews with a diverse group of newsmakers. Her headline-making interviews include President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, actor Sidney Poitier, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on his battle with leukemia, and Lisa Niemi on the loss of her beloved husband, Patrick Swayze.
Roberts has also done extensive reporting around the globe. She has traveled to the Middle East with former First Lady Laura Bush, who was on a mission to raise awareness about breast cancer in the Muslim world; to Africa with former President Bill Clinton for a firsthand look at the AIDS crisis in that part of the world; to Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake; and to South Africa to report on the World Cup.
In November 2009, Roberts hosted her first primetime special, “In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts: Bright Lights. Big Stars. All Access Nashville.” The special took Roberts to Nashville, where she interviewed some of country music’s biggest stars. She followed that with another primetime hour featuring an exclusive interview with Janet Jackson, the performer’s first after the death of her brother, Michael.
In February 2009, Roberts made her red carpet debut as co-host of the ABC Television Network’s Oscar pre-show, reporting live from the 81st annual Academy Awards with fashion expert Tim Gunn.
Roberts played an active role in ABC News coverage of the 2008 presidential race. She interviewed the candidates and a wide range of political newsmakers for GMA and traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to moderate a town hall debate with then-candidate Hillary Clinton. She was the first journalist to interview President Barack Obama after he was sworn in.
Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2007. Her courageous and public battle has been recognized with awards and honors from organizations around the country.
In August 2005, Roberts found her personal and professional lives collide when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast – a part of the country Roberts called home for most of her life. In the days following, she traveled to the hurricane zone and reported live amid the devastation of the storm. She also launched “GMA Gets It Done,” a yearlong effort to rebuild her hometown of Pass Christian, Miss.
Roberts was named co-anchor of Good Morning America in May 2005. She began contributing to the morning program in June 1995 and has worked in broadcasting for more than 20 years.
From 1990 to 2005, Roberts was a contributor to ESPN, where she was one of the network’s most versatile commentators. Her assignments there included hosting SportsCenter contributing to NFL PrimeTime.
Prior to her work at ESPN, Roberts was a sports reporter and anchor at WAGA-TV in Atlanta. She was also a morning personality on WVEE-FM, Atlanta’s top -rated morning show. From 1986 to 1988, she served as sports anchor and reporter for WSMV·TV in Nashville, Tenn., where she won the ”Nashville Scene” Sportscaster of the Year Award in 1987. She also worked as a sports anchor and reporter at WLOX-TV in Biloxi, Miss., from 1984 to 1986 and WDAM-TV in Hattiesburg, Miss., from 1983 to 1984.
Roberts began her broadcasting career while in college at WHMD/WFPR Radio in Hammond, La., where she was the sports director. She also served as a special assignment sports reporter for KSLU-FM in 1982.
In 1983, Roberts graduated cum laude from Southeastern Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Arts in communications .
In 2001, Roberts was named a “Louisiana Legend” by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. She was also named to the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup Advisory Board in January 1998, a board that includes Henry Kissinger, William Simon, Christine Whitman and Lamar Hunt. In 1994, she was inducted in the Women’s Institute on Sport and the Education Foundation’s Hall of Fame. She is also active as a speaker for charity and civic functions.
Roberts’ first book, From the Heart: 7 Rules to Live By, was published in March 2007.
Roberts currently resides in New York City.