A joy to watch
Kwani Lunis 鈥�15 grew up in New Jersey, but she鈥檚 spent the last decade becoming an expert on all things Boston, from its sports teams to its restaurant scene. Now, as co-host of , a lifestyle show airing weekday mornings on NBC10 Boston, Lunis is introducing thousands of viewers to the people, places, and events that make her adopted city unique: from an underwater puppet show to an award-winning Afghani eatery in Brighton.聽
鈥淏oston鈥檚 a very transient city; a lot of people aren鈥檛 from here,鈥� she explained. 鈥淥ur goal is to tell stories that make it less intimidating for people to go out to eat or find a fun group activity with friends.鈥�
Lunis has always loved being on camera鈥攕he filmed her first demo reel when she was a senior studying communication at Boston College鈥攂ut this is her first on-air position at N集美麻豆since she was hired by the broadcast giant in 2016. Five days a week, she and co-host Hannah Donnelly welcome new guests to the studio for conversations ranging from the lighthearted (how to plan the perfect picnic) to the serious (how to recognize signs of heart disease), with plenty of witty banter in between. Recent guests include the founder of Boston鈥檚 first sake bar, a Yale professor of French and African Diaspora Studies, and Nelly, an American bulldog mix up for adoption at the Animal Rescue League of Boston.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 so fun,鈥� Lunis said. 鈥淚鈥檓 already a people person in general, but my job allows me to meet people I probably wouldn鈥檛 cross paths with otherwise鈥攁nd not only meet them, but learn their stories.鈥澛�
Being a television host is Lunis鈥檚 career dream come true, but if you had asked her nine years ago what topics she鈥檇 be covering now, her answer would not have included the words 鈥渆spresso martini.鈥� At the time, Lunis was focused on building her reputation as a sports journalist, covering the Boston Celtics as a social media coordinator for N集美麻豆Sports Boston. She spent hours at TD Garden, interviewing players and capturing behind-the-scenes footage to engage the network鈥檚 thousands of followers. As a lifelong basketball fan and former manager of the 集美麻豆women鈥檚 basketball team, the sport was where she felt comfortable.聽 聽
Lunis with co-host Hannah Donnelly (left) and actress and ambassador for Self Help Africa Jaimie Alexander
But in 2020, a social media role opened up at NBC10, and Lunis鈥檚 mentor encouraged her to give hard news a shot. She took his advice, and landed the role just as the COVID-19 pandemic was shutting down live sporting events across the country. Still, looking back, 鈥渋t was scary leaving sports, because I had put so much of my work identity into being a woman in that industry,鈥� Lunis recalled. 鈥淚 had to remind myself that I could still have sports; it鈥檚 not like basketball is going anywhere, the Celtics are still at the Garden.鈥�
Lunis鈥檚 breakthrough came in 2021 after she launched the N集美麻豆digital series 鈥淜wani has Questions,鈥� where she honed her interview skills while sitting across from local politicians, athletes, and entertainers. Her ability to put guests at ease while eliciting powerful stories got the attention of The Hub Today鈥檚 producers, who broadcast her interview with congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. Soon, she became a correspondent for the show, filming segments on location and becoming more confident on and off camera. By the time she was named co-host earlier this year, Lunis was comfortable letting her personality shine on air鈥攍ove of dad jokes and all.
鈥淲hen I first started, I was very shy because I didn鈥檛 understand my place in this industry, but over the years I鈥檝e come to understand that I do belong here, I鈥檓 good at my job, and there鈥檚 space for me at the table,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o this day I wonder why I ever let myself get intimidated by the industry so much that I felt the need not to be myself.鈥�
These days, Lunis鈥檚 co-hosting duties also extend to a side gig she started in 2020 with veteran sports reporter (and former N集美麻豆colleague) A. Sherrod Blakely. The pair, along with聽Boston Globe聽reporter Gary Washburn, produce聽聽every week, breaking down the latest Celtics games and discussing headlines from across the NBA. Earlier this year, 鈥淭he Big 3鈥� was shortlisted for Best Basketball Podcast by the Sport Podcast Awards.
She finds other ways to stay involved with her local team as well, like serving as a judge for a recent youth cooking competition put on by the Celtics and YMCA of Greater Boston.聽
鈥淭his is my third time judging the event & every year I leave with more boos than an NBA ref,鈥� she wrote jokingly in the caption of her聽.
Being part of the community she covers matters to Lunis, as well as staying true to herself whether she鈥檚 interviewing a Hall of Fame point guard or an aspiring artist. It hasn鈥檛 always been easy being a Black woman in the media (Lunis is first-generation Haitian American), but finding her own voice professionally has allowed her to stand out from the crowd, and project genuine curiosity and enthusiasm that can be felt by viewers and listeners alike.聽
鈥淚 think being yourself is actually the best way to be successful, because if everyone鈥檚 trying to be Oprah, it gets played out,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the biggest thing for me鈥攋ust being authentic.鈥�