Amid the legal trouble stemming from his alleged assault against girlfriend Rihanna in early February, R&B singer Chris Brown withdrew himself from the list of nominees for Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards. Brown was nominated for Favorite Male Singer and Favorite Song.

Though defended by the likes of P. Diddy, Akon and Kanye West, Chris Brown's music career is still falling. Shunned by Wrigley’s gum and "Got Milk" campaigns immediately after the incident, Brown faces more fallout from his arrest and arraignment on criminal charges.

Brown’s alleged domestic violence caused some controversy with media watchdog groups who said he should not be rewarded for his behavior by receiving an award from children, fearing that it would send an inappropriate message to kids who watch the venerable awards show.

A petition urging Viacom to remove Brown from the list of nominees was posted online Saturday but really took off on Monday after CNN and celebrity shows reported it. By Tuesday, a few hundred calls had been received, according to a Viacom rep, and the petition had nearly 5,000 signatures; by last night there were more than about 12,000 signatures.

However, the kid-friendly network on Wednesday refused to take down Brown's name claiming he was selected for the honors months ago and maintaining that the kids who vote will ultimately decide who wins in the category.

But before kids would get to pick, Brown, whose previously squeaky-clean pop star image made him a perfect choice for the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, removed himself from the voting ballot.

"Chris very much appreciates the support of his fans and the honor they have paid him in the way of nominations for Favorite Male Singer and Favorite Song," his spokesman said.

The 19-year-old singer, who had been a favorite of youthful audiences since his first album three years ago, received nods for Favorite Male Singer and Favorite Song for "Kiss Kiss" at the March 28 awards show. The nominations came shortly before his arrest.

"Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding the incident last month has shifted the focus from the music to whether he should be allowed to be among those nominated."

Before making his decision to pull out, Brown was apparently lobbying for votes. According to Us Weekly, the day Brown was charged with two felonies, he posted a MySpace blog asking fans to vote for him. "Vote for Chris on the Kids' Choice Awards 2009, Thank you for your support," it read.

Despite the network’s earlier holdout, Nickelodeon agreed with Brown’s withdrawal confirming he was out of the competition.

"We agree with and respect his decision and are looking forward to presenting a great event for our audience," they said in a statement

Brown was charged with two felonies last week for allegedly attacking Rihanna on February 8, hours before both stars were to appear at the Grammy Awards. Both stars bowed out and he was arrested later that evening.