Hannity’s Performance at Patriot Awards

Fox News host Sean Hannity entertained the crowd at Fox Nation’s annual “Patriot Awards” on Thursday by singing a version of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” which took a jab at New York City’s Democratic mayor-elect, Zoran Mamdani.

Mamdani emerged victorious over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, along with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, in the race for the seat vacated by retiring independent mayor Eric Adams. Hannity, who plans to leave New York City in January 2024, shared that he struggled with insomnia while crafting his own lyrics for the famous song.

“I had a feeling Mamdani, the Marxist communist, was going to win. I just knew it. One night, unable to sleep, I thought, what should I do? So I began to think of Frank Sinatra and that iconic song. I googled it, printed it out, and decided to rewrite the lyrics. It’s such a classic, and while I can’t sing for the life of me, I needed some audience support,” Hannity explained.

The audience joined in as Hannity led them, singing, “Start spreading the news. I’m leaving here today. High-tax New York that I don’t want to be a part of anymore. Communist Mamdani blues are dying to leave. To the very heart of it, bye-bye, New York.”

Fellow Fox News host Bret Baier also drew attention when he once performed a rap song on a show, bringing a light-hearted vibe to the event.

During the awards ceremony, First Lady Melania Trump was honored, and Turning Point USA CEO Erica Kirk received the inaugural Charlie Kirk Legacy Award, presented by Hannity, country music star Jason Aldean, and Aldean’s wife Brittany.

Ainsley Earhardt, co-host of “Fox & Friends” and engaged to Hannity since December 2024, mentioned that Hannity originally had someone else record the song before deciding to take the lead himself.

In a previous ceremony, Hannity had aimed his humor at then-California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, joking about the phonetic similarity of his name to an expletive. “A lot of folks complain that I say it’s a complete mess, and they think I’m just targeting Schiff,” he said. “But if you say Schiff and ‘the mess’ together, it gets confusing. But I haven’t actually said anything wrong on air,” he clarified.

During his campaign, Mamdani outlined his agenda, which included left-leaning policies such as government-run grocery stores and free child care, suggesting that these would be funded by raising taxes on wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods.