Posted On: Apr. 11, 2017

BreakOut West Announces Paul Brandt as Hall of Fame Inductee for the 2017 Western Canadian Music Awards

April 11, 2017, Edmonton, AB: The Western Canadian Music Alliance is pleased to announce Paul Brandt as the 2017 inductee to the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame, presented by FACTOR. In addition to this honour, Mr. Brandt will be performing acoustically at the Western Canadian Music Industry Awards Brunch, during BreakOut West's 15th year of celebrating western Canada's musical talent.

BreakOut West takes place this year in Edmonton, AB, from September 13-17, 2017, returning to the capital city for the first time since 2008. Delegate registration opens on April 18th, and a full list of Western Canadian Music Award nominees will be announced on April 24th, commencing the member voting period for nominees.

Paul Brandt is the most awarded male Canadian country artist in history. His 1996 debut RIAA-certified Gold album Calm Before the Storm went on to sell one million albums internationally, propelled by the #1 single and wedding standard "I Do". Stateside, his #5 and #1 charting songs "My Heart Has A History", and "I Do" were the first to chart by a male Canadian Country artist since Hank Snow in 1974. His 11 career albums have spawned hit singles, multiple Album of the Year awards, gold, platinum, and multi-platinum performances. The song "For You" (Brandt/Rosen) was selected to promote the major motion picture We Were Soldiers, and was performed by Johnny Cash and Dave Matthews.

The Canadian Independent Music Association recently celebrated Paul's reaching Road Gold Status as a top headliner and major box office draw in Canada. As a recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee award, and numerous other national and regional humanitarian nods, Paul is committed to practically meeting the needs of the poorest of the world's poor through his Buckspring Foundation. A proud champion of The Trans Canada Trail, Paul is dedicated to creating spaces for respectful discussion and fostering meaningful community through his artistic platform. Paul is currently working in partnership with the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre and The Joy Smith Foundation to create a world-class Anti-Human Trafficking Centre for Excellence in Calgary, Alberta. Also currently serving as Mount Royal University's "Storyteller in Residence" at the Bissett School of Business, Paul has been working with students to create business and social enterprise projects utilizing the Paul Brandt brand. Recent projects have included work raising funds and awareness for the causes of fighting human trafficking and the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

Paul has begun writing for a new music project as of January 2017, and BreakOut West is honoured to induct this unstoppable musical force into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame.