Brownlee nominated for CCMA's Male Artist of the Year

(Boise, ID) - Former Idaho Steelheads defenseman Chad Brownlee has been nominated for the ?Male Artist of the Year? by the Canadian Country Music Association. The nomination comes on the heels of being honored in 2011 as the CCMA ?Rising Star.? He will also perform at the Awards Show in September. ?Very humbled to be nominated for the Male Artist of the Year at the upcoming CCMA awards,? Brownlee said via his official Twitter account, @ChadBrownlee. Brownlee, who turned 28 years old on July 12, played 35 games for the Idaho Steelheads during the 2007-08 season following a four-year career at Minnesota State. It was actually during his time at Minnesota State when he was first recognized for his musical talents when he was nominated for the NCAA Hockey Humanitarian Award. Brownlee wrote the song, ?The Hero I See,? in the memory of a young boy who had lost his battle with leukemia. The Kelowna, BC, native retired from hockey following his one season with the Steelheads to pursue a career in music. His self-titled debut album was released in 2010, which led to a nomination as the CCMA?s Rising Star. He didn?t win the award that year, but was voted as the Rising Star in 2011. He released his second album, ?Love Me or Leave Me? in February. Teammates in Boise got a first-hand look at Brownlee?s musical acumen during the 2007-08 season. ?We?d be hanging around the apartments and a good song would start so I would turn around to tell someone to turn the radio up,? former teammate Kory Scoran remembered. ?Turns out it was Chad, playing his guitar and singing.? The CCMA?s Awards Show is Sunday, September 9, in Toronto. In order to be eligible, the artist/group/performer must be from Canada. Brownlee?s competitors for the Male Artist of the Year are Gord Bamford, Jason Blaine, Dean Brody, and Johnny Reid. Examples Brownlee?s music, along with photos and tour dates, can be found on his official website, www.chadbrownlee.com.