WASHINGTON D.C.—NAB will honor CBS sportscaster James Brown with the 2023 Distinguished Service Award, its highest honor, the association said today.
Brown will receive the award at the NAB Marconi Awards Dinner, presented by Xperi, Oct. 25 at the NAB Show New York.
The NAB Distinguished Service Award is presented to a broadcaster who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the American system of broadcasting.
Brown, a three-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, has served as host of “THE NFL TODAY" on CBS since 2006. This season, he will serve as the host for CBS Sports’ coverage of Super Bowl LVIII, a record-setting 12th time serving in that role during his career. Previously, he hosted “Inside the NFL” on Showtime and Paramount +, “Thursday Night Football” on CBS and The NFL Network and co-hosted “Fox NFL Sunday,” as well as hosted a nationally syndicated radio show on Sporting News Radio.
The sportscaster also serves as a special correspondent for CBS News, contributing across all platforms, including programs such as “CBS Mornings” and “CBS Evening News.”
Starting his broadcast career in his native Washington, D.C., Brown worked for Home Team Sports as a play-by-play announcer for the NBA’s Washington Bullets and then as a sports anchor for WUSA-TV.
Brown is the recipient of numerous honors, including The Jackie Robinson Award for Excellence in Sports Journalism by One Hundred Black Men of New York in 2022 and “The Uncommon Award” from Tony Dungy for “Uncommon Leadership through Character and Faith” in 2014. He was named Best Studio Host of the Decade by SI.com and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2021. He received the 2016 Pete Rozelle Award for Excellence in Broadcasting from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Brown supports several charitable organizations, including the Ron & Joy Paul Kidney Center at The George Washington University, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and GENYOUth, an organization committed to child health and wellness in the school community, for which he serves on the board. In addition to his charitable work, Brown is an ordained minister and speaks at churches and conferences around the country.
More information is available on the NAB website.
