Biography

Anderson Cooper is the anchor of CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°, a nightly newscast that goes beyond the headlines – keeping politicians and policy makers honest and in-depth reporting representing all points of view. The show airs weeknights at 8 and 10p.m. ET on CNN. Cooper has covered nearly all-major news events around the world, often reporting from the scene. Most recently, he has covered the conflicts in Syria and Egypt, the NSA surveillance programs, the Boston Marathon bombing and the Sandy Hook shootings. He has been awarded eight Emmy Awards, including two for his coverage of the earthquake in Haiti, and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

He has played a pivotal role in CNN’s political coverage and has anchored from conventions and moderated several presidential debates. In October 2012 Cooper moderated CNN’s Republican debate from Las Vegas. During most of 2007 and 2008, Cooper traveled around the world for Planet in Peril, a documentary about issues threatening the planet, its inhabitants and its natural resources.

In addition, Cooper provides reports for CBS’s 60 Minutes. Dispatches from the Edge, Cooper’s memoirs about covering the South Asia tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and other news events, topped the New York Timesbestsellers list and other bestseller charts.

Before joining CNN, Cooper was an ABC News correspondent and host of the network’s reality program, The Mole. Cooper anchored ABC’s live, interactive news and interview program, World News Now, as well as providing reports for World News Tonight, 20/20 and 20/20 Downtown.Previously, he was a New York-based correspondent for ABC News, reporting primarily for World News Saturday/Sunday.

Cooper joined ABC from Channel One News, where he served as chief international correspondent. During that time, he reported and produced stories from Bosnia, Iran, Israel, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa and Vietnam. He also reported national stories that were broadcast over the Channel One News school television network and seen in more than 12,000 classrooms nationwide.

Cooper and Anderson Cooper 360° have won several major journalism awards, including multiple Emmy awards. Cooper has also earned a National Headliners Award for his tsunami coverage, an Emmy Award for his contribution to ABC’s coverage of Princess Diana’s funeral; a Silver Plaque from the Chicago International Film Festival for his report from Sarajevo on the Bosnian civil war; a Bronze Telly for his coverage of famine in Somalia; a Bronze Award from the National Educational Film and Video Festival for a report on political Islam; and a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Journalism for his 20/20 Downtown report on high school athlete Corey Johnson.

Read More
Request Availability

Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

A 360-Degree Look at World Events

This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.

For Meeting Planners

Blog Posts

Crafting Personalized Health & Self‑Care Practices with Johnny Crowder

Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about health and self‑care rituals. Keynote speaker Johnny Crowder shares why true self‑care is not one‑size‑fits‑all.

Read More

Elevate Your Event With These Skills: Insights from Gabriella Robuccio

Think event planning is all about checklists and timetables? Think again. Emmy‑winning strategist Gabriella Robuccio shares more on The Keynote Curators Podcast.

Read More

Celebrating Juneteenth with These Transformative Keynotes

Learn how intentional Juneteenth programming paired with transformative keynote speakers can turn commemoration into sustained equity and inclusion.

Read More

AI, GEO, & SEO Marketing for Speakers: The 2025 Authority-Building Playbook

How Professional Speakers and Speaker Bureaus Can Leverage AI to Build Unshakeable Authority and Increase Visibility in the New Search Landscape

Read More

Rethinking Events: Bite-Sized Surprises and Live Interaction with Seth Godin

Seth Godin shares his strategies and suggestions for unforgettable events—from riff-based teaching to co-creation through communication and creativity.

Read More

Aligning Prosperity with Purpose: Money Lessons from Doug Lynam

Marine. Monk. Manager. Behavioral finance expert Doug Lynam helps you heal your relationship with finances, aligning prosperity with a deeper, personal purpose.

Read More

Related Speakers