Dawna Friesen Biography

Dawna Friesen is a Canadian Emmy award-winning anchor and executive editor working at Global News. She joined Global News in September 2010. Previously, she worked at NBC News, based in London where she served as a senior foreign correspondent.

Dawna Friesen Education

When her family relocated to St. Albert, she attended Paul Kane High School where she graduated in 1981. Later on, she relocated to Manitoba and attended Red River College where she studied communications and journalism and graduated in 1984. In addition, The University of Toronto gave her a Southam Fellowship for Journalists in 1993. In addition, Red River College awarded her the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009.

Dawna Friesen Career

Friesen is an Emmy award-winning anchor and executive editor working at Global News. She has served as a journalist for more than thirty years and has worked in from small-town Canada to the front lines of history. Not long ago, she anchored the coverage of America Votes 2016 when Donald Trump was elected President from Washington, D.C for Global News.

Previously, she worked at NBC News, based in London where she served as a senior foreign correspondent. In addition, while she was in London for 11 years, she traveled extensively across the Middle East and Europe. She covered events in Russia including terrorist attacks in Beslan and Moscow, followed the disappearance (and murder) of journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, spent months in Israel and Gaza during the conflict there, covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and traveled extensively across Europe and the Middle East.

In addition, her work has appeared on MSNBC, Today, and NBC Nightly News. In addition, she won an Emmy award for election night coverage when President Barack Obama won his first term. Before that, she worked her way up through the ranks as a journalist in Canada, including; as a reporter for CBC News in Saskatoon and Vancouver, a national reporter in Toronto and backup host for Canada AM, a Parliamentary correspondent for CTV News, and at radio and TV stations in Brandon, Manitoba, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Winnipeg.

In 2010, she came back from London and landed a job at Global National, and since she joined the station, she has anchored numerous breaking news stories on location, including the terrorist attack in Paris, France, the shooting deaths of RCMP officers in Moncton, New Brunswick, the wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alberta, and the shooting at the mosque in Quebec City.

Winnipeg is her native home and she was brought up on a farm. During the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards (CSA), the Global National team won Best National Newscast. In addition, Global National was awarded the Edward R. Murrow Overall Excellence Award for Network Radio and Television in 2013. Furthermore, the Gemini Award was presented to her for Canada’s Best News Anchor in 2011. Furthermore, she is an active supporter and advocates for the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

Dawna Friesen Age

Friesen is 57 years old as of 2021. She was born on October 8, 1964, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She celebrates her birthday on the 8th of October every year.

Dawna Friesen Height

Friesen stands at a height of 5 feet 5 inches tall.

Dawna Friesen Family

Friesen’s parents were nonobservant Mennonites. Her father worked on the farm and when she was six years, she has already learned how to drive a tractor. Her mother was active in local politics. In addition, both her parents developed dementia, and in 2014 Friesen was featured in a  program about dementia and how families cope with it.

Dawna Friesen Husband

Friesen is married to Rick Anderson who is a political strategist. She tied the knot with Rick on July 28, 2018. Previously, she was married to Tom Kennedy a former Canadian television journalist, who was associated over the course of his career with both CBC News and CTV News. Together with Tom Kennedy, they have been blessed with a son named Lucas. During her free time, she enjoys spending ample time with her son, traveling, reading, and staying up to date on world events.

Dawna Friesen Salary

Friesen earns an annual salary ranging between $40,000 – $ 110,500.

Dawna Friesen Net Worth

Friesen has an estimated net worth ranging between $1 Million – $5 Million which she has earned through being an anchor and executive editor.