ABC listeners heard a new voice on AM this morning, with Isabella Higgins confirmed as the flagship current affairs program’s next presenter.
The appointment sees the senior journalist step into one of the ABC’s most influential audio roles, taking over from Sabra Lane, who announced in December she would leave the program after nine years at the helm.
Each weekday morning, AM sets the national agenda, combining breaking news with interviews from political leaders and key decision-makers, and remains a cornerstone of the ABC’s audio output.
From regional newsrooms to the ABC’s biggest microphone
Higgins joined the ABC in 2014 and has built a wide-ranging reporting career across metropolitan and regional newsrooms, Indigenous affairs, Europe and social policy.
Over the past year, she has worked as the ABC’s National Social Affairs Reporter, after serving as Europe Correspondent from 2021 to 2024, based in London.
During that time, she reported on four British Prime Ministers, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the conflict in the Middle East and the 2024 US Presidential election.
She was also a senior reporter on the Voice referendum, contributing both on the ground and through analysis during the national campaign.
In 2019, Higgins’ reporting on suicide rates in Indigenous communities was nominated for multiple awards, and she received a Walkey Foundation Young Journalist Award.
‘An absolute privilege’
Higgins said stepping into the AM host role was both humbling and deeply personal.
“It’s an absolute privilege to take on this role at AM, a program with such a strong legacy and loyal audience.
“I still recall my joy at getting my very first story on AM as a young reporter and can’t quite believe I’ll be taking on the role of host. Sabra Lane and all the other past hosts leave enormous shoes to fill.
“I’m looking forward to working with the top-class team who make the show happen and ensure it’s essential, high-impact listening each day.”
ABC Director of News Justin Stevens said Higgins was well-suited to anchoring the long-running program.
“Throughout its almost 60 years on air, AM has been integral in setting the nation’s daily news agenda and interrogating the decision-makers. Isabella is an outstanding journalist and will be a superb anchor of AM.
“I’d also like to pay tribute to Sabra Lane for her formidable work with the program over almost a decade. We look forward to her taking on a new role with the ABC after she returns from well-earned long service leave.”
Higgins now takes the chair at AM, inheriting both its legacy and its daily task of setting the country’s conversation before most of Australia has finished its first coffee.