Nick Cannon

Nicholas Scott Cannon, born October 8, 1980, is an American comedian, actor, television presenter, and rapper. He began his entertainment career on Nickelodeon's sketch series All That before creating and hosting the MTV improv comedy show Wild 'n Out. He went on to host high-profile television broadcasts including America's Got Talent, Lip Sync Battle Shorties, and The Masked Singer, establishing himself as a prominent television personality.

Cannon was born in San Diego, California, and was raised largely by his paternal grandfather in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Southeast San Diego. He attended Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, California, where he graduated in 1998 while serving as president of the African Student Coalition. Cannon received his initial break performing stand-up comedy on his father's local cable public access television program. As a teenager, he also performed as part of the rap group Da G4 Dope Bomb Squad, opening for major musical acts.

After signing with Jive Records in 2001, Cannon released his self-titled debut studio album in 2003, featuring the top-30 Billboard Hot 100 single "Gigolo" featuring R. Kelly. In 2009, he established the entertainment company NCredible Entertainment after shuttering his earlier label, Can-I-Ball Records. Cannon later released his second studio album, White People Party Music, in 2014 through NCredible Entertainment, alongside mixtapes such as Child of the Corn in 2011 and The Gospel of Ike Turn Up: My Side of the Story in 2016. In 2019, he released several diss tracks aimed at rapper Eminem.

In television, Cannon launched Wild 'n Out on MTV in 2005, producing and hosting the series through multiple revivals and network moves. He served as the host of NBC's America's Got Talent from 2009 to 2016, stepping down due to creative differences with network executives. Cannon held executive roles at Nickelodeon, serving as chairman of the TeenNick channel starting in 2009 and hosting TeenNick Top 10. He hosted NBC's Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon, and launched his self-titled syndicated daytime talk show, Nick Cannon, which aired from 2021 to 2022. He began hosting Fox's The Masked Singer in 2019.

Beyond television and music, Cannon pursued radio broadcasting, hosting morning shows on New York's 92.3 NOW FM and Los Angeles's Power 106, as well as the syndicated chart show Cannon's Countdown. In comedy, he toured in 2010 and released his debut stand-up special Mr. Showbiz on Showtime in 2011. In business, he served as Chief Creative Officer for RadioShack starting in 2015, helping launch the NCredible line of consumer audio products.

Cannon earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Howard University in 2020. That same year, ViacomCBS temporarily terminated its relationship with Cannon over antisemitic and black supremacist comments made on his podcast Cannon's Class; after issuing a public apology and taking responsibility, he resumed hosting Wild 'n Out in 2021. Cannon has experienced health conditions including lupus nephritis, diagnosed in 2012, and disclosed a narcissistic personality disorder diagnosis in 2024. He was married to singer Mariah Carey from 2008 to 2016, with whom he has twins, and has fathered several other children across multiple relationships.