Daly began his career in radio in the early 1990s quickly moving up the ranks as an on-air deejay in five different cities within his first five years. Shortly thereafter, he landed one of the most coveted positions in the business — that of the early evening voice of Los Angeles’ influential and top-rated KROQ-FM. MTV soon recognized his talent and brought him to New York City.
It was at MTV that Daly became distinguished for his roles as gracious host and trendsetter, and ultimately planted the seed to become the entertainment icon that he is today. As host and executive producer of MTV’s “Total Request Live” (TRL), he transformed an afternoon music video program into a must-stop on the publicity circuit for musicians, movie stars and entertainers alike. It was Daly’s guy-next-door charm that made him so appealing, and more so trustworthy, as he entered living rooms daily to offer exactly what the audience desired. His reputation as pop-culture tastemaker was cemented.
In January 2002, his loyal fans followed him to NBC and tuned into his late-night television show “Last Call with Carson Daly.” Re-writing the rulebook for late-night television, Daly has taken his show out of the studio and on location every night. The strategically curated bookings extend to a wide array of great storytellers, inspired by Daly’s adoration for the acclaimed “This American Life” program.
While the show boasts diverse bookings in the worlds of entertainment, politics and sports, it is the progressive music bookings that have earned Daly his bragging rights among the late-night crowd. Since day one, “Last Call” has been the show that gives many of the hottest bands their first break on U.S. television including The Killers, Maroon 5, Ray LaMontagne, Modest Mouse, 30 Seconds to Mars, B.o.B and many more.
Daly and Universal Media Studios produce the annual New Year’s Eve primetime special “NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly.” As executive producer, Daly has led the broadcast on all NBC platforms — both on and offline. Past musical performances have included Rihanna, Jay Z, Greenday, Sir Elton John, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Ludacris, Mary J Blige, Avril Lavigne, Panic! At The Disco, The Ting Tings and Lenny Kravitz.
