Matt Brouwer

Matt Brouwer is a Canadian singer/songwriter who got his start in the music industry while studying music at school in Alberta, Canada. While in college he and fellow students founded the band Monday Night Worship (MNW). Because of the spiritual content of his lyrics he was 'discovered' by a Nashville record company in 2000, and in 2001 recorded his solo debut CD Imagerical. The album was released on May 29, 2001 on Reunion Records. He then formed his own label called Black Shoe Records and released an album titled Unlearning in 2005, Where's Our Revolution (Universal) in 2009, and Till The Sunrise in 2012. Brouwer's music has been hailed for its relentless vulnerability as he shares his life's story of tragedy (the death of his father) and hope (his Spiritual pilgrimage) with his listeners.

Matthew Paul Brouwer was born in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. His mother is a teacher and his father ran a dairy farm. When Matt was three years old his father was killed in a car accident. The loss of his Dad at an early age had an emotional impact on the singer and is a theme that has permeated many of Brouwer's songs. During college Brouwer found music to be more than a comforting hobby as he co-founded a group of Spiritually curious musicians known on campus as MNW. "It started with a conversation a group of us (students) had about our hunger to not only know about God, but to begin a journey of actually knowing Him," says Matt. MNW released 2 independent CD's featuring songs written and sung by Brouwer, many of which were also featured on his solo debut CD, Imagerical, which was released a year later as Brouwer and other members of the college group parted ways or were also signed to Provident Label Group as separate acts.

Matt Brouwer's first single, Water, was a hit on CCM radio's CHR chart reaching #2 on R&R in 2001, the follow up singles, "A New Song", and "Sanity", were top 20 and top 10 hits respectively as well. Brouwer hit the airwaves again with a cover of Sheryl Crow's I Shall Believe which graced Billboard's Christian chart in 2005. The hit "Sometimes" from "Where's Our Revolution" did even better, charting in the top 20 on Billboard in 2010. An acoustic cover version of the Goo Goo Dolls song, "Better Days", also charted for Brouwer on the Billboard Chart in 2011. Brouwer's CD Imagerical was nominated for Best Gospel Album at the 2002 Canadian JUNO Awards. and he won a JUNO Award in 2010 for the album Where's Our Revolution as it was named best Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the year. He has been nominated for 15 GMA Canada Covenant Awards winning 3, and his songs have been featured on TV in the Canadian produced hit teen drama Degrassi.

Matt Brouwer married Hannah Dawn Ficker on August 29, 2010 before an intimate gathering of family and close friends at The Woodlands United Methodist Church near Houston, TX. The couple met during a trip Brouwer took to Guatemala, where Hannah's family serves in medical missions. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in September 2013. In 2015 they announced that their second daughter was born in June.

Albums

• Imagerical (Reunion Records, 2001, review) OCLC: 47203906.
• Unlearning (Black Shoe Records, 2005, review) OCLC: 137341514.
• The B-Sides Recording, Vol. 1 (Black Shoe Records, 2006)
• Where's Our Revolution (Black Shoe Records, 2009, review) OCLC: 316822224.
• A Merry Little Christmas (Matt Brouwer) (Black Shoe Records, 2010, review OCLC: 881658967.
• Till The Sunrise (Black Shoe Records, 2012, review) OCLC: 828529155.
• Writing to Remember (Black Shoe Records, 2014, review)

Notable appearances

• Vocals on Jill Paquette's debut album Jill Paquette (Reunion, 2003)
• "Better Days" song appeared on the TV show Jericho, Episode 1 (Pilot)

Songs on compilations

• Rock On Worship, "Water" (Madacy, 2002)
• Sea to Sea: I See The Cross, "Home" (CMC, 2005)
• Sea to Sea: The Voice of Creation, "Your Name" (CMC, 2007)
• GMA Canada presents 30th Anniversary Collection, "Water" (CMC, 2008)
• Sea to Sea: Christmas, "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (Lakeside, 2009)

• Losey, Stephen Douglas. "(Review) Imagerical". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-02-15. 
• Chapman, Jackie. "Unlearning Review". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-07-27. 
• Ross, C.W. "(Review) Where's Our Revolution". Breathecast. Retrieved 2010-03-06. 
• Breimeier, Russ. "Christmas Music Wrap Up". crosswalk.com. Retrieved 2015-12-01. 
• Williams, Lindsey. "Faith, Marriage Inspire "Till The Sunrise"". crosswalk.com. Retrieved 2012-10-28. 
• "Writing To Remember.". crossrhythms.co.uk.com. Retrieved 2015-01-13. 

GMA Canada Covenant Awards

• 2007 nominee, Praise And Worship Album Of The Year: The B-Sides Recording, Volume 1
• 2008 nominee, Male Vocalist Of The Year
• 2008 nominee, Pop/Contemporary Song Of The Year: Beautiful Now
• 2009 Folk/Roots Song Of The Year: The Other Side (with Amy Grant and Vince Gill)
• 2009 GMA Canada/Blessings Christian Marketplace Fan's Choice Award *won
• 2009 nominee, Male Vocalist Of The Year
• 2009 nominee, Album Of The Year: Where's Our Revolution
• 2009 nominee, Pop/Contemporary Album Of The Year: Where's Our Revolution
• 2009 nominee, Recorded Song Of The Year: "Come Back Around"
• 2009 nominee, Music Video Of The Year: "I Shall Believe"
• 2012 nominee, Pop/Contemporary Album Of The Year: Till The Sunrise
• 2012 Inspirational Song Of The Year: "Ocean"
• 2013 nominee, Inspirational Song Of The Year: "Love Can Find A Way"
• 2014 nominee, Recorded Song Of The Year: "Tonight"
• 2015 nominee, Song Of The Year: "Waking Up"

East Coast Music Awards

• 2010 nominee, Gospel Recording of the Year: Where's Our Revolution
• 2013 nominee, Gospel Recording of the Year: Till The Sunrise

Independent Music Awards

• 2010 nominee, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Song Of The Year: Sometimes
• 2010 nominee, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album Of The Year: Where's Our Revolution
• 2013 nominee, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of The Year: Till The Sunrise

Juno Awards

• 2002 nominee, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year: Imagerical
• 2010, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year: Where's Our Revolution

Shai Awards (formerly The Vibe Awards)

• 2002 Male Vocalist of the Year
• 2002 Worship Album of the Year: Imagerical

• Matt Brouwer also received five GMAC nominations in 2009, for: Male Vocalist Of The Year, Album Of The Year: Where's Our Revolution, Pop/Contemporary Album Of The Year: Where's Our Revolution, Recorded Song Of The Year: "Come Back Around", and Video Of The Year: "I Shall Believe". GMAC 2009 Covenant Award Nominees Archived June 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
• East Coast Music Awards official site Archived July 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
• East Coast Music Awards Official site. Retrieved 2013-02-19
• Independent Music Awards official site. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
• Independent Music Awards official site Archived March 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved 2013-19-03.