NAB To Honor CBS’s James Brown With Distinguished Service Award

Hall of Fame CBS sportscaster James Brown is the recipient of the National Association of Broadcasters’ 2023 Distinguished Service Award (NAB DSA), the organization’s highest honor. The award presentation will take place during the NAB Marconi Awards Dinner, presented by Xperi, on October 25 at NAB Show New York.

The NAB DSA annually recognizes a broadcaster who has made a significant and lasting contribution to the American system of broadcasting.

Known to sports fans as “JB,” Brown is a three-time Emmy-winning broadcaster. He has served as host of The NFL Today on CBS since 2006 and this season will serve as the host for CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2024 Super Bowl, hosting for a record-setting 12th time. He previously 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.

Additionally, Brown serves as a special correspondent for CBS News, contributing across all platforms, including award-winning programs such as CBS Mornings and CBS Evening News.

His broadcast career started in his native Washington, D.C., where 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, The Uncommon Award from Tony Dungy for “uncommon leadership through character and faith” in 2014 and was named Best Studio Host of the Decade by SI.com. Brown was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2021 and received the 2016 Pete Rozelle Award for Excellence in Broadcasting from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Brown is an active supporter of 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.

In addition, Brown will sit down with NAB President-CEO Curtis LeGeyt for a special session at NAB Show New York titled One-on-One with James Brown. Their discussion will focus on Brown’s multiple award-winning career, his approach to sportscasting, the importance of charity work in his life and more.

“James Brown is a broadcast legend both for his captivating work on-air and his commitment to his community,” said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “His dynamic talents shined brightly during his Hall-of-Fame career and made him a household name to millions of sports fans. We are excited to honor James for his significant contributions to our industry and celebrate all his accomplishments during the Marconi Radio Awards this fall.”

Previous recipients of the NAB DSA include Ryan Seacrest, former NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith, Jim Henson, Alan Alda, Robin Roberts, Bob Schieffer, Michael J. Fox, Mary Tyler Moore, President Ronald Reagan, Edward R. Murrow, Bob Hope, Walter Cronkite and Oprah Winfrey.

As previously announced, the NAB Marconi Awards will be hosted by Rich Eisen with DJ Scratch returning as house DJ.