Trevor Noah will host the 2024 Grammy Awards. It'll be his fourth year in a row hosting "the biggest night in music"— and his second Grammys gig since his eight-plus-year run on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" ended in December 2022.
For the uninitiated, Noah (born Feb. 20, 1985) is a native of Johannesburg, South Africa. He was raised in Soweto by his mother and grandmother. That part of Noah's life is covered thoroughly in his autobiography "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood," a New York Times No. 1 bestseller; and in the comedy special that became a Grammy-nominated album, Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia.
Noah first became a television personality and comedian in South Africa. He moved to Los Angeles in 2011, furthering both careers in the years to come. By 2017, he made The Hollywood Reporter's list of "The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media" for the first of two consecutive years. In 2018, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Read on to learn more about Noah, from his pre-"Daily Show" career to his award-winning run as the cable TV staple's host and his more-recent career developments.
CBS will air the 66th Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, from 8-11:30 p.m. ET.
Pre-'Daily Show' Career
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Noah began his broadcasting career in 2002 for the South African Broadcasting Corp. He appeared on the soap opera "Isidingo," and he hosted the gossip show "The Real Goboza," the dating game show "The Amazing Date" and the education program "Run the Adventure."
He also gained some hosting experience at the 2009 South Africa Film and Television Awards and the 2010 South African Music Awards.
In addition, Noah began his standup comedy career around 2005.
"I was doing gigs that nobody was doing, in areas that no one else was doing them," Noah told The Hollywood Reporter about his earliest comedy gigs.
Noah made history twice shortly after relocating to the U.S. in 2011. In 2012, he became the first South African comic to appear on "The Tonight Show." The following year, he achieved the same "first" on "The Late Show With David Letterman."
'The Daily Show'
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Noah debuted on the satirical news show "The Daily Show" in December 2014 as a correspondent. The following March, Comedy Central announced that Noah would replace John Stewart as the series' host.
"I'm thrilled for the show and for Trevor," Stewart shared in a statement (as quoted by the New York Times). "He's a tremendous comic and talent that we've loved working with."
In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Comedy Central's Michele Ganeless explained why the network chose Noah.
"There is only one Jon Stewart," Ganeless said. "So, we did not look for the next Jon Stewart. We were looking for someone who brings a really unique and distinct point of view that's really appropriate for 2015 and the coming years, who could evolve 'The Daily Show' for the next generation. Trevor is so smart and so funny and such a citizen of the world that it just became very clear that he could do this job better than anyone else."
On Sept. 29, 2022, Noah announced on the show that he was stepping down as its host. His last show was on Dec. 8, 2022.
"I realized there's another part of my life that I want to ... carry on exploring," he said during the broadcast (as quoted by NPR). "I miss learning other languages. I miss going to other countries and putting on shows. I miss just being everywhere, doing everything."
During his time as host of "The Daily Show," Noah won a Primetime Emmy, a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) media award, two MTV Movie & TV awards and eight NAACP Image awards.
More Recent Success
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In November 2023, Noah began hosting the Spotify podcast "What Now? With Trevor Noah." It's his second podcast, following one he hosted in 2019-20 for Luminary.
Noah now is set to host the 2024 Grammy Awards, which will mark his fourth year in a row as the evening's master of ceremonies.
"I'm hosting the Grammys. I'm excited about that, yeah," he said his podcast. "It's a lot of fun. I enjoy the Grammys because I get to watch the show in person and then experience and comment on it in person while it's happening."
For the first time as a host, Noah will also be up for an award (Best Comedy Album for I Wish You Would). He'll be the fifth host — and the first in almost 20 years — to double as a nominee, following Kenny Rogers (1980), Paul Simon (1981), John Denver (1984) and Queen Latifah (2005).
In addition, Noah hosted the 2022 White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
As for other media, Noah's appeared in the TV show "Nashville" and the film "Black Panther," to name just a couple.
Who's Dated Trevor Noah?
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A lifelong bachelor, Noah has been linked romantically since moving to the U.S. to musician and fellow South Africa native Dani Gabriel, real estate consultant Jordyn Taylor and "Friday Night Lights" star Minka Kelly. After a few public appearances together in 2022, a Noah-Dua Lipa romance was rumored but never confirmed.
Noah has no children, and as far as we know, he's currently still single.
"I don't want to have a child before I believe I want a child; I also don't want to be in a position where I resent either the child or 'The Daily Show' for taking time from the other," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019. "What I've come to realize is that life is not as urgent as you think it is. So for me, right now, it's head down and grind, and I don't feel guilty like I'm abandoning or deserting anybody because I'm single. My wife is 'The Daily Show.'"
