When Scotty McCreery came to the Opry to perform on Tuesday night (March 28), he had no idea what was in store for him. Shortly after he received a standing ovation for his emotional song, “Five More Minutes,” McCreery experienced the surprise of a lifetime.
During the show, McCreery was presented with the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award. The award is conferred by the Governor of North Carolina, and “is awarded to persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.”
Many country singers have been presented with the award in the past. Just a few of those artists include George Jones, Tammy Wynette, and Randy Travis.
McCreery certainly fits the criteria for the award. He is actively involved in philanthropic efforts in his home state of North Carolina and all over the country. Just two examples of his many charitable efforts include his 2012 benefit concert that raised $5000 to help with relief efforts following Hurricane Sandy and his $50,000 donation to youth baseball programs across the U.S.
Former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory had glowing words to share about McCreery and his contributions to the state of North Carolina. “I want to thank Scotty for being such a great ambassador for our state – both on and off stage,” said McCrory. “Scotty truly represents the best of North Carolina.”
Also on hand for the presentation was North Carolina native and former Long Leaf Pine Award recipient, Charlie Daniels. It turns out that Daniels was scheduled to perform that night as well, and the importance of his presence wasn’t lost on McCreery.
He spoke about how honored he was to receive the award, acknowledging how “awesome” it was to have Daniels there to witness it all:
“Everyone knows how proud I am of being from North Carolina and that I’m always glad to help out when my state needs me. It’s a great feeling to know that my state is proud of me and has recognized me with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award. Having it presented to me here at the Grand Ole Opry, which is my favorite stage to perform on, is fantastic. Then, receiving it in front of one of my musical heroes and a fellow native North Carolinian, Charlie Daniels, is beyond awesome. This is a memory I will treasure.”
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In addition to the Long Leaf Pine Award, McCreery has another huge reason to celebrate. The original video of him performing “Five More Minutes” at the Opry recently passed two million views. This is quite remarkable, considering the fact that the song hasn’t been released on a record yet! Go ahead and tune in below to check out that outstanding performance.
Congratulations to McCreery for all of these great accomplishments!