Nick Cannon was born on October 8, 1980, in San Diego, California, and raised primarily by his paternal grandfather in the Bay Vista Housing Projects. His father, James Cannon, hosted a local cable access televangelist program, and it was there that Cannon first performed stand-up comedy at age 12.  He pursued entertainment full-time after high school, becoming both the youngest cast member and the youngest staff writer in the history of Nickelodeon’s All That.

After All That, he created, hosted, and executive-produced The Nick Cannon Show. He later launched the improv comedy franchise Wild ‘N Out on MTV and spent eight seasons as host of NBC’s America’s Got Talent (2009–2016). In 2019, he joined Fox as host and executive producer of The Masked Singer, one of the network’s most successful franchises. 

Since 2025, Nick Cannon has hosted Lego Masters on Fox, taking over from Will Arnett. In addition to TV hosting, he has also released two studio albums, appeared in films including Drumline (2002) and Men in Black II (2002), hosted a syndicated daytime talk show, and launched a radio career with Nick Cannon Mornings.