Eugene Daniel

You can find Eugene Daniel behind the 13News Now anchor desk with Ashley Smith for our Daybreak newscasts, 4:30 to 7 AM, Monday through Friday.

Eugene joined the 13News Now team in October 2020 as a reporter and multi-skilled journalist and was quickly promoted to weekend evening anchor in May 2021. He moved into his Daybreak anchor role in May 2023.

During his time in Hampton Roads, Eugene has covered a number of high-profile stories, including the deputy-involved shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr. and the federal lawsuit following the controversial traffic stop of Army Lt. Caron Nazario in Windsor. He’s also closely followed changes in Portsmouth City government, including an exclusive interview with former police chief Renado Prince about his firing.

Eugene partners with Hampton University and Norfolk State University to mentor aspiring journalists.

Before moving to Virginia, Eugene was a reporter and evening anchor in Central Illinois, and won a Edward R. Murrow for work on race relations and issues facing the Black community in the region. The Illinois Broadcasting Association also awarded Eugene for his work surrounding sports-related concussions and the development of safer football helmets.

On top of reporting, Eugene volunteered as a Young Adult Coordinator at his church in Peoria, Illinois, working with college students and people ages 19 to 29.

Eugene is a self-proclaimed “southern gentleman,” born and raised in Marietta, Georgia. He is a proud graduate of Elon University in North Carolina and loves working in the community, especially mentoring children and teens.

He loves people and telling their stories, and encourages the community to reach out to him!