Family, friends and business associates crowded the reception hall of the Country Music Assn. in Nashville Wednesday afternoon (May 23) to help Scotty McCreery celebrate his first No. 1 single, “Five More Minutes.” In 2011, McCreery became the tenth season winner of American Idol.

Being honored as well were Monty Criswell and Frank Rogers, who co-wrote the winning song with McCreery. The event was jointly sponsored by BMI, the performance rights organization to which McCreery and Criswell belong, and ASCAP, Rogers’ PRO home.

Inspired by McCreery’s maternal grandfather, “Five More Minutes” is the singer’s seventh single and the third to reach the Top 10 in Billboard.Among the guests who came to wish McCreery well was Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Layng Martine.

BMI’s Bradley Collins called the proceedings to order. He told the crowd that Criswell, a veteran songwriter, has had more than 200 songs recorded, including Eric Church’s “Like Jesus Does” and George Strait’s “I Saw God Today.”

Collins also noted that McCreery co-wrote all 11 songs on his current album, Seasons Change.

As customary for BMI songwriters who are experiencing their first chart-topping single, Bradley presented McCreery with a new acoustic guitar. Speaking for ASCAP, Mike Sistad pointed out that Rogers not only co-wrote but also produced “Five More Minutes.” Among Rogers’ many other achievements Sistad cited was the fact that he has produced 75 songs that made the Top 20, is a five-time winner of Billboard’s producer of the year award and has had over 500 of his songs recorded, including five No. 1s.

Also taking the stage to congratulate McCreery was publisher Troy Tomlinson, who proclaimed, “Every now and then we get to celebrate some guys with white hats. You’re one of them.”

Norbert Nix, general manager of Triple Tiger Records, McCreery’s label, then came forward to announce that “Five More Minutes” had just been certified platinum, a designation signifying a million copies sold. The last to speak, McCreery declared that “Five More Minutes” is his favorite of all the songs he’s written.