Among the 20 CNN female anchors to watch out for this year are those who have worked with the news network for many years and have achieved great feats with them. These female anchors have had a wealth of experience working on other news networks before joining the Cable News Network. The mastery of their career and their charisma onscreen have left indelible positive impressions on their audience. Read on to learn more about the 20 CNN female anchors that will grace your screen this year.
List of CNN Female Anchors Making Waves This Year
1. Dana Ruth Bash
- Date of birth: June 15, 1971
- Age: 52 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 1993
- Formerly at: (interned at NBC and CBS)
Dana Ruth Bash was born on June 15, 1971, in Manhattan, New York, United States. She is an American national of Hungarian Jewish ethnicity and her birth sign is Gemini. She graduated from Pascack Hills High School in Montvale, New Jersey, and furthered her education at George Washington University, where she earned a cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political communications. She was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire.
The news anchor joined NBC and CBS as an intern while still in college. Upon her graduation from college, she joined the Cable News Network in 1993 as a producer for weekend programs like Inside Politics, Late Edition, and Evans and Novak. Subsequently, she earned the position of CNN’s Chief Congressional Correspondent with her hard work and dedication.
Dana co-hosted the State of The Union, a CNN Sunday morning show with Jake Tapper, in 2021 and succeeded John King to become the solo anchor of Inside Politics on April 2023. She is notable for her roles in CNN, such as the 2016 presidential primary debate. Dana is one of the 20 CNN female anchors that appeared in the 2014 Women in Washington Power List by Elle Magazine.
2. Melisa Anne Knowles
- Date of birth: January 23, 1982
- Age: 42 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2014
- Formerly at: (The Daily Campus, The Daily Update, Channel One News, ESPN, BET News, and Yahoo)
Melisa Anne Knowles was born on January 23, 1982, in Houston, Texas, in the United States. She is an American national, an Aquarius, and of African-American descent. Upon graduation from high school, she furthered her education at Southern Methodist University, where she obtained a degree in broadcast journalism. She went on to earn a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Georgetown University.
Melisa is one of the 20 CNN female anchors who started exploring journalism while in university. While still a university student, she worked at the Daily Campus as a writer and later co-founded The Daily Update. After graduating from the university, she joined Channel One News as a news anchor. She later left for ESPN, where she served as a news anchor and sideline reporter on Fox Sports and ESPNU.
The news anchor joined BET News as a correspondent and worked with them for a short while before joining Yahoo. In 2014, Melisa was employed as a news anchor and correspondent by CNN and she hosted The Daily Share, Morning Express with Robin Meade, and Weekend Express. Currently, she works at HLN Television, a subsidiary of CNN based in Atlanta, Georgia.
3. Christiane Maria Heideh Amanpour
- Date of birth: January 12, 1958
- Age: 66 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 1983-2010; 2012- date
- Formerly at: (WBRU-FM, WJAR, and ABC News)
Christiane Maria Heideh Amanpour was born on January 12, 1985, in London, England, in the United Kingdom. Her birth sign is Capricorn and she is of mixed ethnicity, including Iranian and English. She attended Holy Cross Convent and later graduated from New Hall School, a Roman Catholic school in Chelmsford, Essex. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a BA degree in journalism from the University of Rhode Island.
Christine is one of the 20 CNN female anchors who began her journey in journalism as an undergraduate. She worked at WBRU-FM and WJAR, an affiliate of NBC, both in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1983, she joined CNN as an entry-level desk assistant before becoming a correspondent. As a correspondent, she achieved great feats and was notable for covering the Iran-Iraq War, the Persian Gulf War, and many other life-threatening events.
In 2010, she joined ABC News as an anchor and was with them for just two years. In 2012, she returned to CNN International and has achieved great feats with them so far. Currently, she works on PBS, where she hosts her program, Amanpour and Company.
4. Zain Ejiofor Asher
- Date of birth: August 27, 1983
- Age: 40 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2012
- Formerly at: (News 12 Brooklyn and Money)
Zain Ejiofor Asher is a British Nigerian born on August 27, 1983, in Balham, London Borough of Wandsworth, England. She is of Igbo descent in Nigeria and belongs to the Virgo birth sign. She graduated with a degree in French and Spanish from Oxford University and later attended the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, in New York City. Zain was conferred an honorary fellow of Keble College, Oxford University.
Prior to joining the Cable News Network, Zain Asher worked as a receptionist at a production company. She joined News 12 Brooklyn as a freelance reporter and covered local news. She also worked as a reporter at Money, an American personal finance brand.
In 2012, she joined CNN as a business correspondent and later became an anchor at the Atlanta-based CNN International. She has also covered various notable events around the world and is currently the anchor of One World with Zain Asher, a program that she has been hosting since 2021.
5. Kasie Hunt
- Date of birth: May 24, 1985
- Age: 38 years old
- Active at CNN Since: August 10, 2021
- Formerly at: (National Journal’s CongressDail and NBC News)
Kasie Hunt was born on May 24, 1985, in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. She is of White descent and her birth sign is Gemini. She attended Conestoga High School and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in international affairs. She furthered her studies at St. John’s College, Cambridge, England, where she bagged a master’s degree in sociology.
She is one of the 20 CNN female anchors who started her journey into journalism as a health policy reporter at the National Journal’s CongressDail. Kasie Hunt joined NBC as an intern and became a staff member of the news network in 2013. She later worked in the NBC News subsidiary, MSNBC, before joining CNN+ in 2021.
The news anchor was appointed as the anchor of the show, The Source with Kasie Hunt, which ended a month after its debut. At the moment, Kasie Hunt works with CNN as an anchor and Chief National Affairs Analyst.
6. Kristi Lu Stout
- Date of birth: December 7, 1974
- Age: 49 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2000
- Formerly at: (The Stanford Daily, South China Morning Post, Wired, and KZSU)
Kristi Lu Stout was born on December 7, 1974, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. She was born under the Saggitarius birth sign and is of European-American and Asian ethnicity. She attended Lynbrook High School in San Jose, California, and later earned a degree in journalism from Stanford University. She further added a master’s degree in media studies to the bag from Stanford University.
While at the university, Kristi Lu Stout served as a writer for the Stanford Daily and KZSU. Subsequently, she worked as a freelancer at the South China Morning Post and as an editorial intern at Wired. The news anchor began working with CNN as a television and dot-com reporter in 2000 and has worked in various sections of the news network. Kristi Lu Stout is one of the 20 CNN female anchors who has received multiple accolades and is based at CNN in Hong Kong as an anchor and correspondent.
7. Pamela Brown
- Date of birth: November 29, 1983
- Age: 40 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2013
- Formerly at: (Carolina Week, ABC7/WJLA-TV, and NewsChannel8)
Pamela Brown was born on November 29, 1983, in Lexington, Kentucky, in the United States. She is an American citizen who is of Caucasian ancestry and was born under the Sagittarius birth sign. She studied at Henry Clay High School in Lexington and graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is running a Master of Laws degree program at George Washington University Law School at the moment.
Prior to joining CNN, Pamela Brown had a short stint as a reporter for her university’s news sector known as Carolina Week. She also worked for WJLA-TV, an ABC affiliate in Washington, and NewsChannel 8. By 2013, she had joined CNN and served in various positions on the news network, such as senior Washington correspondent, senior White House correspondent, and more. The award-winning news anchor is currently the host of the weekday show, The Bulletin with Pamela Brown.
8. Amara Walker
- Date of birth: November 30, 1981
- Age: 42 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2012
- Formerly at: (KMIR-TV, WFLD, and WTVJ)
Amara Walker is a Korean-American born on November 30, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, United States. She is an American citizen of Korean-American ethnicity and was born under the Saggitarius birth sign. A well-learned woman, she earned a double degree in broadcast journalism and political science from the University of Southern California.
Just like many female anchors, she also had a wealth of work experience with other news networks before joining CNN. She kicked off her career as a news anchor with the Palm Springs-based TV station, KMIR-TV. Upon leaving KMIR-TV, she moved on to WTVJ, a subsidiary of NBC News, as a general assignment reporter and news anchor. Amara Walker joined WFLD, a subsidiary of Fox Sports, in 2012, maintaining the same position as a general assignment reporter and news anchor.
Having gained a wealth of experience from other notable news channels, Amara Walker joined CNN International in 2012 as a news anchor. She has also achieved incredible feats on CNN. She has covered various notable events like the Ottawa shootings at the Canadian Parliament, the 2020 presidential election, the Georgia Senate runoff, and more.
At the moment, the news anchor works as the co-anchor of CNN This Morning Weekend, formerly known as New Day Weekend.
9. Julia Chatterley
- Date of birth: 1982
- Age: 42 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2018
- Formerly at: (CNBC)
Julia Chatterley is a British anchor and correspondent born in 1982 in London, England, United Kingdom. Based on the fact that her date and month of birth are scarce, her zodiac sign cannot be determined, but she is a British citizen and of Caucasian ancestry. While her other educational history is unknown, she graduated from the London School of Economics with first-class Honors in Economics. Julia is one of the 20 CNN female anchors who started their careers in other sectors before venturing into journalism.
She joined Morgan Stanley in London, working in the company’s Fixed Income division and on other financial-related issues. The news anchor later left the finance sector and started her journey in the broadcasting sector at CNBC International. While with the broadcasting channel, she covered breaking business news, global markets, leaders’ summits, elections, and more. Julia Chatterley later joined Bloomberg Television, where she worked for years before joining the Cable News Network.
The news anchor joined CNN on July 11, 2018, as an anchor and correspondent for CNN International. She has achieved incredible feats with the news network and covers mostly economic-related news and interviews. Currently, she anchors First Move with Julia Chatterley on weekdays on CNN International in New York.
10. Kate Bolduan
- Date of birth: July 28, 1983
- Age: 40 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2007
- Formerly at: ( WTVD-TV, NBC News/ MSNBC, House and Garden magazine)
Kate Bolduan was born in Goshen, Indiana, in the United States, on July 28, 1983. She is of Belgian heritage, and her zodiac sign is Leo. She attended Goshen High School and enrolled at George Washington University upon graduating.
The news anchor graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in political science in 2005.
After graduating from the university, she started her career journey with WTVD-TV in Durham, North Carolina. She moved on to NBC News and MSNBC in Washington D.C., where she worked for some time. The news anchor had a short stint at House & Garden magazine, Dateline NBC, and NBC Nightly News before joining CNN in 2007.
Kate Bolduan joined CNN as a national correspondent for CNN Newsource. She has worked in various sectors of CNN, covering various shows and notable events like New Day, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, At This Hour with Kate Bolduan, and State of America with Kate Bolduan. Currently, she is the co-anchor of CNN News Central, which airs on weekdays.
11. Becky Anderson
- Date of birth: November 15, 1967
- Age: 56 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 1999
- Formerly at: (Independent Television News, Bloomberg, and CNBC Europe )
Becky Anderson, one of the 20 high-profiled female CNN anchors, was born in England on November 15, 1967. She is a British citizen born under the Scorpio birth sign and is of Caucasian ancestry. The news anchor graduated from the University of Sussex and bagged a bachelor’s degree in economics and French. Becky went on to add a master’s degree in mass communication from Arizona State University to the bag.
The news anchor’s journey into journalism kicked off as a print reporter at many business publications in Arizona. She later joined Independent Television News in the UK before joining CNBC Europe and then Bloomberg, where she mainly reported on businesses.
Becky Anderson joined CNN in 1999 and has made many remarkable prints on the news network, including covering notable events like the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI and the installation of his successor, Pope Francis, the 2012 Olympic Games, and more. The news anchor has also interviewed world elites like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani, and more. Becky Anderson is currently based at CNN’s Abu Dhabi bureau, where she is the Managing Editor and hosts Connect the World with Becky Anderson.
12. Abby Phillip
- Date of birth: November 25, 1988
- Age: 35 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2017
- Formerly at: (Politico, The Harvard Crimson, The Washington Post, ABC News, and PBS)
Abby Phillip was born on November 25, 1988, in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. She is an American citizen, her zodiac sign is Saggitarius, and she is of Afro-Trinidadian heritage. The CNN female anchor attended Bowie High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in government from Harvard University. While at the university, she wrote for the Havard Crimson, a student newspaper for her university.
After graduating from the university, she began working for Politico as a White House reporter and blogger. She also worked at The Washington Post as a political reporter and on general assignments and at ABC News as a news fellow and digital reporter in New York.
Having been acquainted with the White House reporting procedures, she was employed by CNN in 2017, where she was saddled with the task of covering Trump’s administration. Abby Phillip is also notable for hosting the weekend edition of Inside Politics. The news anchor is a senior political correspondent and the permanent host of CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip.
13. Bianna Vitalievna Golodryga
- Date of birth: June 15, 1978
- Age: 45 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2017
- Formerly at: (CNBC, ABC, Yahoo! News, MSNBC, and CBS)
Bianna Vitalievna Golodryga was born in Căușeni, Moldova, on June 15, 1978. She is a Moldovian national, her birth sign is Gemini, and she is of Bessarabian Jewish ethnicity. The news anchor graduated from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston. She obtained a degree in Russian/East European and Eurasian studies and a minor in economics from the University of Texas at Austin.
The journalist is one of the 20 CNN female anchors with a wealth of experience from other careers and networks before joining CNN. She kicked off her career by working at finance companies before giving journalism a try. Her first journalism gig was with CNBC, where she worked as a producer and on-air correspondent before joining ABC News. After working with ABC News, she moved to Yahoo News, where she served in the business and finance news department.
She joined CBS as a guest co-anchor and later became a correspondent. Bianna Vitalievna Golodryga began working on CNN as a contributor before taking up a full-time role as a senior global affairs analyst and fill-in anchor for the New York-based CNN. While she is making great impacts on CNN, she also contributes to HuffPost and Yahoo News. She has received lots of awards and honors for her contributions to the news sector.
14. Audie Cornish
- Date of birth: October 9, 1979
- Age: 44 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2022
- Formerly at: (NPR, The New York Times Magazine, and WMUA)
Audie Cornish was born on October 9, 1979, in Randolph, Massachusetts, in the United States. She was born under the Libra birth sign and is of Jamaican heritage. She had her high school education at Randolph High School and enrolled at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where she earned a degree in journalism.
With the passion that Audie had for journalism, she interned at WMUA and NPR while still at the university. Upon graduation from the university, she joined National Public Radio based in America, where she contributed immensely to the news network. She made many contributions to The New York Times Magazine while still with NPR. The news anchor joined CNN+ in 2022 as a host for the CNN Audio podcast, The Assignment with Audie Cornish. Audie Cornish also appears on CNN, covering political, breaking, and national news.
15. Erica Hill
- Date of birth: July 20, 1976
- Age: 52 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2003-2010; 2016 to date
- Formerly at: (CBS News, PC Week Radio, TechTV, and NBC News)
Erica Hills was born on July 20, 1976, in Clinton, Connecticut, the United States. She is an American citizen of White roots and her zodiac sign is Cancer Zodiac. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Boston University.
Erica Hills has served in other notable news networks in the past, including CNN, before her current job at the news network. She worked at PC Week Radio and TechTV before her first work experience at CNN. She joined CNN in 2003 as a general news anchor for different programs and worked with them for about seven years before leaving for CBS News where she served as a co-anchor.
After she worked with CBS News for some time, she left for NBC News where she worked as a co-anchor. With the knowledge garnered over the years from other news networks, the award-winning anchor made it back to HLN, a subsidiary of CNN, as the anchor of On the Story with Erica Hill. Erica Hills left her position at HLN and joined CNN as the lead fill-in anchor and national correspondent.
16. Poppy Harlow
- Date of birth: May 2, 1982
- Age: 42 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2008
- Formerly at: (CBs News, NY1 News, and Forbes.com)
Poppy Harlow was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, on May 2, 1982. She is an American national of English ancestry, and her birth sign is Taurus. She attended the Blake School in Minneapolis.
She furthered her studies at Columbia University, where she graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Middle Eastern studies. The journalist also pursued a master’s degree in Law at Yale Law School.
Poppy had a fair share of experience with other news networks before joining CNN. The news anchor interned at CBS while in college and joined them as an assistant producer upon graduation. She began working at NY1 News as a reporter and anchor and later joined Forbes.com. At Forbes.com, she worked for just a year, covering fashion and entertainment.
The news anchor began working with CNN as a reporter and anchor. She has hosted various shows on HLN and CNN, such as CNNMoney.com, CNN Newsroom, and more. Poppy Harlow, who has covered notable events, currently co-anchors the CNN This Morning, a weekday show.
17. Clarissa Ward
- Date of birth: January 31, 1980
- Age: 44 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2015
- Formerly at: ( Fox News, ABC News, and CBS News)
Clarissa Ward was born on January 31, 1980, in London, United Kingdom, and is of British-American roots. She attended Godstowe and Wycombe Abbey boarding schools in England. She also attended Yale University, where she graduated with distinction, and obtained an honorary doctor of letters degree from Middlebury College.
The news anchor is one of the 20 female CNN news anchors whose work in journalism has taken her to different parts of the world. She kicked off her career with Fox News, serving in many positions, including assignment editor, field producer, and correspondent, and also covering notable events. Clarissa Ward joined ABC News in 2007 as a correspondent and later joined CBS News as a foreign news correspondent.
Having gained lots of experience in journalism, she joined CNN in 2015 and has held remarkable positions to date, such as chief international correspondent. With her experience covering war zones, she has covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other life-threatening events for CNN. She still holds the position of chief international correspondent in London.
18. Laura Coates
- Date of birth: July 11, 1980
- Age: 43 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2016
- Formerly at: (SiriusXM)
Laura Coates was born in Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States, on July 11, 1980. She is of African-American heritage and her zodiac sign is Cancer. She attended the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. The anchor later earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Laura is one of the 20 CNN female anchors who pursued a career in other fields before joining CNN. Having earned a Juris Doctor in law, she practiced law for years and worked with Faegre & Benson as an associate attorney. She also practiced at other law firms like Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman, the United States Department of Justice, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and the District of Columbia.
Laura Coates began working with CNN in 2006 as a senior legal analyst and anchor. She once hosted CNN Tonight, and in 2023, she became the chief legal analyst. On August 14, 2023, Laura became the host of Laura Coates Live.
19. Lynda Kinkade
- Date of birth: January 10, 1983
- Age: 41 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2014
- Formerly at: (Seven Network, Sunrise, NBN Television, Nine Network, The Courier-Mail and The Daily Telegraph)
Lynda Kinkade was born in Sydney, Australia, on January 10, 1983. She is an Australian citizen, her birth sign is Capricorn, and she is of White ancestry. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Technology Sydney.
She is one of the 20 CNN female anchors who kicked off their careers way back in university as she worked at Seven Network as a political researcher. Her remarkable research and coverage of the 2003 New South Wales state election inked her a position at Sunrise as a junior producer. Upon graduating from the university, she joined NBN Television as a reporter and worked in some of their offices in Australia.
Lynda Kinkade left her former place of work for Nine Network as an Assistant Chief of Staff and was later promoted to producer and reporter on many of their programs. After working on the network for four years, she re-joined Seven Networks as a national correspondent, making notable achievements with them.
In 2014, Lynda Kinkade began working with CNN as a freelancer, anchoring the weekend editions of CNN Newsroom. With her years of experience and passion for her job, she was converted to a full-time staff member as an anchor and correspondent in 2015. She has recorded great feats with CNN as she has reported and covered various significant events like the terror attacks in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. In addition to CNN Newsroom, the journalist also anchors the shows Hala Gorani Tonight and Connect the World at the moment.
20. Brianna Keilar
- Date of birth: September 21, 1980
- Age: 43 years old
- Active at CNN Since: 2006
- Formerly at: (KIMA-TV and KTVU-TV)
Brianna Keilar was born in Canberra, Australia on September 21, 1980. The Australian citizen belongs to the Virgo birth sign and is of Caucasian ethnicity. She had her high school education at Mission Viejo High School and furthered her studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned dual bachelor’s degrees in mass communications and psychology.
Keilar started her broadcasting career as an intern at a CNN and FOX affiliate in San Francisco known as KTVU-TV, where she served as a production assistant. She later took up a job at KIMA-TV as a general assignment reporter in Yakima, Washington, while she worked at the KFFM radio station. She subsequently joined CBS News as an anchor, reporter, and producer, and worked on many shows.
The news anchor joined CNN in 2006 as a correspondent for CNN Newsource. Just like many other CNN female anchors, Brianna Keilar has covered various outstanding events in her years of work on CNN. She has also anchored various shows like CNN Right Now, New Day, and CNN This Morning and currently co-anchors CNN News Central with Jim Sciutto and Boris Sanchez.
