Singer Chris Brown on Wednesday withdrew from Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards because of the controversy from criminal charges against him for allegedly attacking his girlfriend, pop star Rihanna.

Brown, who is known for hit songs like "Run It!" and "Forever," was up for top male singer at the awards show airing March 28 on U.S. cable television channel Nickelodeon.

The 19-year-old R&B star, who is accused of assaulting and making criminal threats against Rihanna on the eve of the February 8 Grammy Awards, also was up for best song for "Kiss Kiss." He was competing against Rihanna in that category for her "Don't Stop the Music."

Brown, who was nominated before the incident with Rihanna, faced criticism from special interest groups and in blog postings around the Internet by people who argued it set a bad example for children for him to stay on as a nominee.

"Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding the incident last month has shifted the focus from the music to whether he should be allowed to be among the nominated," Brown's representatives said in a statement on Wednesday.

"While Chris would like to speak to his fans directly about this and other issues, pending legal proceedings preclude his doing so at this time," the statement said.

As Brown entered a courtroom to face the charges against him on March 5, a message posted on his MySpace page urged fans to vote for him for the Kids' Choice Awards. The message has since been removed.

Brown, who celebrity news outlets report is back together with Rihanna, faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

(China Daily/Agencies March 12, 2009)