After a tumultuous and historic election season, Americans gather inside Long Island’s premier concert hall to commemorate everyday heroes across the nation.
Fox News host Sean Hannity emceed the sixth annual Patriot Awards at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Brookeville, N.Y., where nine awards were given to those who went above and beyond in service to community and country.
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Here is a look at this year’s award recipients:
PATRIOT OF THE YEAR – PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD J. TRUMP
From legal battles to assassination attempts to the ballot box, President-elect Donald Trump has had a historic year, culminating in his monumental victory in the 2024 presidential election.
While the incoming president prepares for his transition back to the White House, Trump was awarded the Fox Nation “Patriot of the Year Award” during Thursday’s show.
“We’re going to achieve it again and very fast. It’s going to be very fast because we have no choice. But we’re going to do something that I’ve been talking about for eight years. We’re going to do it again. We have to do it again,” Trump said.
“We’re going to be very proud of our country again.”
FOX WEATHER ULTIMATE PATRIOT AWARD – GENERAL DICK CODY
When communities across the southeast were rocked by Hurricane Helene in September, former Army vice chief of staff Gen. Richard “Dick” Cody stepped up to help North Carolina residents suffering a catastrophe of biblical proportions.
“America’s Newsroom” co-anchors Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino presented Cody with the FOX Weather “Ultimate Patriot Award,” honoring his service to the affected communities in the Tar Heel State. Samaritan’s Purse COO Edward Graham joined Cody on stage to receive the award.
“I was just one of probably 100 helicopter pilots that showed up and answered the call to duty one more time for the devastation in North Carolina. A lot of civilian helicopters, a lot of active duty helicopter pilots and stuff… So I accept this award very humbly on behalf of all of them, because they did some great work out there,” he said.
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With historic flooding and widespread devastation nearly wiping out entire communities, volunteers rushed to the Tar Heel State to help with rescue and recovery efforts.
Cody joined the list of volunteers, flying his helicopter to deliver emergency supplies to residents suffering in the western Appalachian region, including generators, fuel and blankets.
After accepting his award, Cody urged viewers not to “forget the people in North Carolina. Our work is not done there yet. Keep supporting them and keep them in their prayers.”
T2T STEPHEN SILLER BACK THE BLUE AWARD – JONATHAN DILLER
For the Diller family, a routine traffic stop in March changed everything. NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller was shot and killed in Queens allegedly by a suspect with more than 20 prior arrests, prompting national outrage.
Diller is survived by his 1-year-old son and wife, Stephanie, who accepted the “T2T Stephen Siller Back the Blue Award” on her husband’s behalf.
“Tonight is especially special because I’m receiving this award from Stephen Siller. And looking at Stephen, a man who also lost his father and is up here supporting us, it gives me hope that my son will be okay,” Stephanie said after receiving the award.
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Guy Rivera, 34, allegedly opened fire during a traffic stop conducted by Diller and his partner in Far Rockaway, Queens, on a vehicle illegally parked at a bus stop back in March. Rivera, who was in the passenger seat, allegedly fired first at police, fatally striking Diller in the torso below his protective vest.
Rivera was also struck by return fire and was reportedly hospitalized. Like Rivera, the driver of the vehicle, 41-year-old Lindy Jones, also had at least 20 prior arrests, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
“Although we suffered this tragedy, we will not live a tragic life, and we will live a life that supports the legacy and the spirit of who Jonathan was,” Stephanie said.
YOUNG PATRIOT AWARD – CAMERON BLASEK
While only a senior in high school, Cameron Blasek stood his ground after school administrators in St. Leon, Ind., reportedly attempted to stop him from displaying the American flag earlier this year.
Blasek’s commitment to the flag earned him the “Young Patriot Award,” presented by “The Faulkner Focus” host Harris Faulkner and OutKick’s Tomi Lahren.
“I want to say that I’m humbled and proud to get this award tonight,” Blasek said.
“I want to say to the brave men and women out there who serve our country, thank you. Your sacrifices are the true essence of patriotism. The sacrifices I made of willing to be suspended and possibly expelled from high school is nothing compared to them.”
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Blasek proudly displayed an American flag on his truck for most of his senior year, but he said school administrators told him it broke school rules and needed to be removed.
The high school senior refused to take down the flag, inspiring other students to join in displaying American flags. Blasek was even given a red, white and blue truck from GCI Digital, a business based out of nearby Cincinnati.
Blasek extended his thanks to a family in Oklahoma after accepting his award Thursday night. The family from Hollis, Okla. had a 13-year-old battling cancer who wanted to take a ride in Blasek’s patriotic truck.
“He reached out and said that he wanted his final ride to be in my truck. So me and my father, we made that happen. We drove all the way down there and we did it. So I want to give a thank you to them for welcoming me into their lives.”
SALUTE TO SERVICE AWARD – PAULA PEDENE & DR. SAM FOOTE
Roughly a decade ago, then-Veterans Affairs employees Paula Pedene and Dr. Sam Foote blew the whistle on the agency for allegedly failing to serve the nation’s service men and women back.
Pedene and Foote were given the “Salute to Service Award,” presented by “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-hosts Will Cain and Rachel Campos-Duffy, to mark ten years since coming forward.
“I think the VA is still at a crossroads,” Pedene said, accepting the award on behalf of her and Foote.
“Our veterans deserve the best.”
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The whistleblower colleagues not only exposed one of the largest scandals in VA history, but also prompted major reform ensuring better care for future generations of veterans.
“To all the whistleblowers out there, it’s a good fight. It’s a tough one, but it’s a good one. We need truth. We need accountability. Thank you for what you do,” she added.
AWARD FOR SERVICE TO VETERANS – PAWS OF WAR
Paws of War was awarded the “Service to Veterans Award” for helping bring hundreds of dogs and cats, rescued by U.S. troops serving overseas, to safety in America.
“I think that what people don’t realize is when a military member is serving overseas, they’re trained for a lot. They’re not trained to find this little puppy or a kitten that they fall in love with. And then they have to come back and there’s very little options for them to bring that animal back. And that’s what we do,” Paws of War co-founder Robert Misseri said during the Patriot Awards.
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The mission of the non-profit is to “alleviate the suffering of veterans, first responders and their families” through a number of programs including providing service dogs. Since it was founded in 2014, Paws of War has served nearly 1,000 veterans.
Misseri was joined on stage by Army National Guard Specialist Cameron Clay, who was surprised by a reunion with a dog he rescued while overseas.
“I don’t even know how to feel,” Clay said, embracing his four-legged friend. “So, so thankful to everyone involved. Paws of War and everyone on base who helped me through this whole process. It’s just amazing. I don’t even know what to think right now. It’s just so great. Thank you, everyone.”
CULTURE WARRIOR AWARD – KIRK CAMERON
Actor Kirk Cameron faced an onslaught of pushback from libraries across the country over his children’s book As You Grow, sparking a nationwide movement against woke entertainment for kids.
Cameron received the “Culture Warrior Award,” presented by “The Story” anchor Martha MacCallum and Fox News contributor Tyrus, commemorating his fight to defend traditional family values nationwide.
“I have a heart full of gratitude just to be counted together with you this evening for this important night of honoring people all over this country, these unsung heroes who are doing such important work. I think we all know that in order to shape the future, we have to get to the hearts and minds of our children and to the grandchildren,” Cameron said.
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Since releasing his children’s book, Cameron has continued releasing books and hosted a “See You at the Library” event in August, which drew 30,000 people at libraries across the nation.
“I believe that God has given us a new day,” Cameron said. “There is a spirit of hope and optimism that is in the air. We can see the future more clearly now. And I honestly believe that that heaven’s clocks keep perfect time. And the last four years have been a perfect window into the future we could have taken. And as a nation, I believe we really dodged a bullet.”
Cameron’s latest enterprise is a new Christian children’s show billed as the “modern-day Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” in an effort to combat the current “woke” state of children’s entertainment.
AWARD FOR BRAVERY – CLARENCE MCCALLISTER
Earlier this year, a deacon leaped into action to stop a gunman who pointed a loaded gun at a pastor during a Sunday afternoon service.
63-year-old Clarence McCallister was honored with the “Award for Bravery” for his heroic and selfless actions defending the Pennsylvania preacher.
“In America here, we’re all heroes. We’re all heroes. We all have the heart to do whatever it takes that we need to do,” McCallister said.
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McCallister was taping the service at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, Penn., when 26-year-old Bernard Polite approached the pulpit with a firearm pointed at Pastor Glenn Germany.
The deacon helped tackle the gunman, eventually removing the weapon from his possession, until police arrived.
Germany surprised McCallister on stage, thanking the deacon for his selfless act.
“I thank God for protecting me and watching over me. I thank God for keeping this angel. Having him making sure that nothing happened to no one else inside our building,” Germany said.
“The young man who attempted that, I forgave him. And it’s all about us loving these young men, young women whose going through mental illness. They need our help.”
AWARD FOR COURAGE – UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL PHI DELTA THETA FRATERNITY BROTHERS
Colleges nationwide witnessed widespread and violent protests over the war in Israel. In the midst of the chaos, members of the University of North Carolina’s Phi Delta Theta fraternity captured the attention of the nation by holding up the American flag as pro-Palestinian protesters tried to replace the Stars and Stripes with a Palestinian flag.
Two of the fraternity brothers, Guillermo Estrada and Alex Jones, received the “Award for Courage” for the group’s heroic act of patriotism.
“The outreach of support from not only the people that are here in this room, but across the nation has really been something that has been both inspiring and humbling,” Jones said.
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After enduring nearly an hour of screaming, slurring and flying objects, the fraternity brothers held up the fallen American flag until it could be restored. A GoFundMe was started to throw a party for the fraternities involved, which raised over half a million dollars by the time donations closed.
“We didn’t hesitate when we saw our flag being torn back down because this flag represents the beacon of hope that called my parents to this great country 20 years ago,” Estrada added. “The promise of liberty and prosperity that makes America a light to the world. That is what that flag represents. And to those – to those that still, for some reason questioned the meaning and importance of the flag. I invite you to sit down with families like mine from Goldsboro, North Carolina, family like Alex’s, and to listen to truly what the red, white and blue truly means to us once again.”
Fox Nation’s sixth installment of the Patriot Awards was a night to bridge political gaps, unite behind a love of America and celebrate America’s everyday heroes. For more patriotic content and to stay in-the-know for future awards, join Fox Nation today.
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Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz, Greg Wehner, Michael Ruiz, Danielle Wallace, Jasmine Baehr, Angelica Stabile, Courtney O’Brien, Kendall Tietz, Taylor Penley and Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.
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