Zan Rowe is a broadcaster, TV presenter, music journalist, and podcaster. She currently hosts Friday Mornings show on Double J, featuring the flagship segment, podcast, and now TV series Take 5. Zan is Double J’s National Music Correspondent, and co-hosts the weekly pop culture podcast Bang On, with Myf Warhurst.

Zan’s love of radio began early, as a volunteer DJ at Melbourne’s SRA FM in 1996, then a member of the SYN FM executive team in 2001 as the station was granted a full-time licence. Moving from SYN FM to 3RRR FM, Zan scored a dream gig hosting the Monday drive-time show Transit Lounge from 2002-04, while also working as Breakfasters/Talks Producer. At the same time she was finishing her Media Studies degree and DJ-ing around town, then Zan decided to start pulling all-nighters too, hosting mid-dawn shifts on triple j in 2005. These instant coffee fuelled evenings would be the start of a wonderful adventure.

In 2006, Zan accepted a role at triple j, initially hosting Weekend Lunch before quickly moving into the triple j Mornings slot until 2017. Here, Zan became part of the fabric of the national youth network, soundtracking the lives of generations of Australians, and creating the Take 5 co-host.

Joining forces with long-time work and life mate Myf Warhurst, Zan kicked off the Bang On podcast in 2017; a weekly wrap of “music, art, life, and stuff” which has grown to millions of downloads, sold out live shows, and a beloved community of “Bang Fam”.

In 2018 Zan graduated to triple j’s “big sister” station Double J, to host a new Mornings show, and staged the first ever Take 5 live event with Ice Cube at the Sydney Opera House. Since then, Take 5 has travelled to Hobart for Dark Mofo with Warren Ellis, and to Shepparton with hometown hero Briggs.

Across more than 16 years of hosting Mornings, Zan has spoken with everyone from Bjork to Damon Albarn, David Byrne, Janelle Monae, Nick Cave, Kylie Minogue, Tom Waits, and Paul McCartney, and is known as one of Australia’s best interviewers.

In 2022, Take 5 with Zan Rowe evolved again, premiering to great acclaim and high ratings, on primetime ABC TV. Series one featured Guy Pearce, Keith Urban, Missy Higgins, Tony Armstrong, and Tori Amos. Series two is in production.

Zan is the co-host of the annual ABC New Year’s Eve broadcast, TV’s highest-rating show of the year, alongside Charlie Pickering. In 2022 she hosted ABC’s live birthday celebrations with Craig Reucassel and Tony Armstrong for ABC 90: Celebrate! In 2023 Zan hosted ABC Classic 100 in Concert with Jeremy Fernandez, Genevieve Lang, and the MSO.

Zan was a regular feature interviewer on ABC Arts program The Mix from 2015-2019. In 2018 Zan co-hosted the live Tropfest TV broadcast with Susie Youssef, explored her love of film and screen culture as a panellist on ABC TV’s Screen Time in 2017, and hosted ABC iView series The Critics in 2015-16.

She has co-hosted The Sound on ABC TV, been a panellist on Spicks and Specks, and has appeared on Channel Ten’s The Project. In 2023, she appeared with Adam Liaw on SBS TV’s The Cook Up.

As ABC National Music Correspondent, Zan can be seen talking music news and analysis every week on ABC News Breakfast, and across ABC TV, digital and radio. She has produced and presented features for 7:30 and ABC 7pm News on gender inequality, the National Indigenous Music Awards, and The Avalanches.

Zan has covered music conferences and festivals across Australia, and in Texas, Oslo, New York, London, and Hamburg. Her writing has been published in the anthologies “Better Than Sex”, and “Women of Letters”.

Zan was the first ever Australian jury member for the ANCHOR Award at Hamburg’s Reeperbahn Festival in 2019, alongside Bowie’s producer Tony Visconti, Metallica’s producer Bob Rock, musician/actor Kate Nash, and musician/icon Peaches. In 2018, Zan was part of the official Australian Jury for the Eurovision Song Contest, chaired by Richard Wilkins.

Zan has hosted events and “in conversations” for Vivid Live, Sydney Festival, TEDx, City of Sydney, Big Sound, All About Women, Sydney Writers Festival, The School of Life, Adelaide Festival, Universal Pictures, Harper Collins, Think Inc, Art Gallery of NSW, Illuminate Adelaide, The Wheeler Centre, The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Film Festival.

When Zan isn’t sharing her opinions on radio and tv, she’s sharing her passions on Twitter and Instagram, and can often be found in a dark theatre eating popcorn for dinner, MC-ing awards nights, or listening to audiobooks while gardening.

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“Rowe radiates warmth, knows her field intimately and clearly has a passion for it.” Debi Enker, SMH The Guide / The Age Green Guide

“Zan is a master interviewer… This is beautiful television do not miss it.” Clare Rigden, West Australian

“Zan Rowe is as much a fellow aficionado as an interviewer, as she deftly engages the celebrity guests.” Craig Matheson, SMH The Guide / The Age Green Guide

“On Take 5, her skill as an empathetic interviewer comes through. She is a safe pair of hands — no gimmicks, no gotchas — and it’s why she has become one of Australia’s top music journalists. Not that she’ll admit it, but she is a classic quiet achiever.” Louise Rugendyke – SMH / The Age

Awards

NEW YORK FESTIVALS RADIO AWARD
Silver Winner – Music Podcasts, Take 5 (2022)
AUSTRALIAN PODCAST AWARDS
Bronze Winner – Best Radio Podcast, Take 5 (2021) & Gold Winner – Best Radio Podcast, Take 5 (2020)

Radio

DOUBLE J RADIO
Host, Mornings, 2018-Current
ABC RADIO MELBOURNE
Regular Guest, Afternoons with Jacinta Parsons, 2020-Current
ABC RADIO SYDNEY
Regular Critic, Driver with Richard Glover, 2012-Current
TRIPLE J RADIO
Host, Mornings, 2006-2017
TRIPLE J RADIO
Host, Weekend Lunch, 2005-2006
3RRR FM
Transit Lounge, Host (Monday Drive), 2002-2004
3RRR FM
Summer Breakfasters with Sam Pang, 2002
SRA/SYN FM
Host of various music programs, 1996-2002

Television

THE COOK UP
Guest, SBS 2023
ABC NYE BROADCAST
Host, ABC TV 2017-Current
ABC NEWS BREAKFAST
Weekly Music Correspondent, ABC TV 2012-Current
TAKE 5 WITH ZAN ROWE
Host/Creator/Producer, ABC TV 2022
SPICKS & SPECKS (Series 12)
Guest, ABC TV 2022
ABC 90 CELEBRATE!
Host, ABC TV 2022
GARDENING AUSTRALIA
Guest, ABC TV 2022
THE SOUND
Host, ABC TV 2020-2021
7.30: GENDER INEQUALITY IN AUSTRALIAN MUSIC
Producer/Journalist, ABC TV 2020
7.30: THE AVALANCHES FEATURE INTERVIEW
Producer/Journalist, ABC TV 2020
THE PROJECT
Music Commentator, Network TEN 2016-2020
THE MIX
Feature Interviewer, ABC TV 2015-2019
TROPFEST
Host, ABC TV 2018
SCREEN TIME
Panelist, ABC TV 2017
THE CRITICS
Host, ABC TV 2015-2016
RAGE
Co-Host, ABC TV 2009
TRIPLE J TV
Regular Host, ABC TV 2006-2009

Podcasts

TAKE 5 WITH ZAN ROWE
Host/Creator/Producer, 2017-Current
BANG ON WITH ZAN ROWE & MYF WARHURST
Co-Host/Producer, 2017-Current

Writing

ABC NEWS ONLINE
National Music Correspondent 2018-Current
BETTER THAN SEX ANTHOLOGY
Essayist, Hardie Grant 2016
WOMEN OF LETTERS
Contributor Penguin 2015
TRIPLE J MAGAZINE
Features Writer 2005-2013