Bruno Mars is an American singer and songwriter born in 1985 in Honolulu, Hawaii to a family of musicians. He began performing as a child, impersonating Elvis Presley. After graduating high school, he moved to Los Angeles to study music and pursue his dream of becoming a successful artist. He found work as a songwriter for other artists before signing with Atlantic Records in 2009. In 2011-2012, Bruno Mars received widespread acclaim, winning 19 awards out of 78 nominations for his work.