Zan Rowe is a presenter, music journalist, and podcaster. Best known for her work across triple j, Double J, and ABC TV, she currently hosts Friday Mornings on Double J, the Take 5 podcast, and is creator and host of TV series Take 5 with Zan Rowe.

Zan’s love of radio began early at Melbourne’s SRA FM in 1996. Moving from SYN FM to 3RRR FM in 2002, Zan hosted the Monday drive time show Transit Lounge until 2004, while also working as Breakfasters/Talks Producer.

In 2006 Zan took a role at triple j, hosting Weekend Lunch before quickly moving into the triple j Mornings slot until 2017. It was here Zan became part of the fabric of the national broadcaster, soundtracking the lives of countless Australians, and creating the Take 5.

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 grew to millions of downloads, performed to 10,000 people on a national tour, and built a beloved community of “Bang Fam”.

In 2018 Zan moved to Double J, to host a new weekday Mornings show. Across more than 18 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 evolved again, premiering to critical acclaim and high ratings, on ABC TV. Across three series, Take 5 with Zan Rowe has welcomed Noel Gallagher, Dannii Minogue, Guy Pearce, Tori Amos, Neil Finn, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Season four is in production.

Zan is a master of live television, having co-hosted of the annual ABC New Years Eve broadcast since 2017; TV’s highest rating show of the year. In 2022 she hosted ABC’s live birthday celebrations for ABC 90: Celebrate! In 2023 Zan hosted ABC Classic 100 in Concert.

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, Claire Hooper’s House of Games and The Project, and appeared with on A Bite to Eat with Alice, and The Cook Up.

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. In 2018, Zan was part of the official Australian Jury for the Eurovision Song Contest.

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

She is a regular MC for awards nights, host of conferences, and host of celebrations large and intimate. In 2023, Zan was made an Industry Adjunct Associate Professor with RMIT’s School of Media and Communication, recognised as an accomplished figure in the realms of radio, television, music journalism, and podcasting.

When Zan isn’t sharing other people’s stories on radio and tv, she’s sharing her passions on Instagram, or listening to audiobooks while gardening.

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“Zan Rowe is charming, empathetic, and overflowing with an enthusiasm too infectious to resist.” The Age

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

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

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

“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