Jawan Strader
Jawan Strader is an Emmy award-winning journalist and one of South Florida’s most recognizable news figures. Strader co-anchors NBC 6 news, weeknights at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. with Jackie Nespral. And he’s also host of Voices with Jawan Strader, a community affairs show dedicated to the black community and the disenfranchised.
Strader brings more than 20 years of experience in journalism to the anchor desk, covering some of the biggest and most impactful stories that have touched South Florida and the country.
He is known to go to the heart of breaking news stories especially those that impact South Florida. In 2018, Jawan Strader received an Emmy Award for his anchoring of the heartbreaking Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and the Hollywood Hills nursing home tragedy where 12 seniors died after Hurricane Irma. He was the only South Florida anchor in the field covering the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. The day after the terrorist shooting inside Pulse nightclub, Strader was there in Orlando speaking with the victims and sharing their stories with viewers. He was in Havana, Cuba to cover former president Obama’s historic trip.
Strader is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, but has called South Florida home for over a decade. His career has taken him from South Bend, Indiana, to Tulsa, Austin, Washington D.C., Cleveland, and Miami.
The Indiana university journalism and speech communications graduate joined WTVJ/NBC 6 in 2012. Before joining WTVJ, he worked at the local CBS affiliate where he was a weekend anchor, 10 p.m. anchor and morning anchor and hosted a community affairs show.
Jawan has won a number of Emmy awards including two for Anchoring. And in 2018 the Miami New Times recognized Strader as the Best News Anchor. In 2016 he received the Media Excellence award from CCNN Live for Best News Anchor. Most recently, Strader was honored by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson with the Congressional Record for his work in the community and as a mentor with 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project.
Aside from his journalism skills, Strader is known for the hard work he does in the community. Strader received the award of distinction for Media Coverage of Public Education by the education fund of Miami-Dade. And Legacy magazine named Strader one of South Florida’s most powerful and influential black people.
Strader is a mentor to a number of young journalists and a role model mentor for 5000 role models of excellence, member of the National Association of Black journalists and president of the local chapter, 100 Black Men of South Florida and Kappa Alpha PSI Fraternity, Inc.
Strader is also a motivational speaker who has inspired students and employees from different businesses across South Florida to believe in themselves and overcome obstacles. He is a strong believer in mentoring and helping others. Strader credits his mother with laying a strong foundation as a single-parent to make sure he overcame obstacles.
Most importantly, Strader is a proud father and husband. He loves spending time with his family and wife, Yolanda.
