From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Bruno Mars made an impact.
Bruno Mars (Peter Gene Hernandez) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and dancer recognized as a pop icon. Known for his three-octave tenor range, energetic live performances, retro showmanship, and musical versatility, Mars performs with his band, the Hooligans. He gained early recognition in Hawaii for his Elvis Presley impersonations before relocating to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue a music career.
In 1979, The Gap Band released "Oops Up Side Your Head". In later years, similarities to "Uptown Funk" (released much later) led them to be added as co-writers of the latter and receive publishing royalties. Also, the Sequence claimed that "Uptown Funk" infringed their 1979 single "Funk You Up" and sued a year later.
In 1980, Zapp released "More Bounce to the Ounce". In 2017, Lastrada Entertainment filed a lawsuit due to similarities with "Uptown Funk" (released much later).
In 1983, electro-funk band Collage released the single "Young Girls", which was later at the center of a copyright lawsuit in 2016 where they sued Ronson and Mars for allegedly copying it in "Uptown Funk".
In 2003, Bruno Mars moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career after gaining recognition in Hawaii for his Elvis Presley impersonations.
In 2003, Bruno Mars moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career shortly after graduating from high school. He adopted his stage name from his father's childhood nickname and added "Mars".
In 2004, Bruno Mars signed a contract with Motown Records, but the deal "went nowhere".
After being dropped by Motown Records, in 2005 Bruno Mars landed a music-publishing deal with Steve Lindsey and Cameron Strang at Westside Independent.
In 2006, Bruno Mars was introduced to Aaron Bay-Schuck, his future A&R manager at Atlantic Records, who wanted to sign him immediately after hearing him play.
In 2008, Bruno Mars and Philip Lawrence sold their song "Lost", which was written for Mars, to a reunited Menudo for $20,000. This enabled them to continue working.
In 2009, Bruno Mars co-wrote "Right Round" for Flo Rida. Also, Mars co-wrote the Sugababes's "Get Sexy" and sang on "3D" on Far East Movement's Animal album.
In 2009, Bruno Mars rose to fame as a recording artist after featuring on B.o.B's US number-one single "Nothin' on You".
On May 11, 2010, Bruno Mars released his debut extended play (EP), It's Better If You Don't Understand, which peaked at number 99 on the US Billboard 200.
On July 20, 2010, Bruno Mars released "Just the Way You Are" as the lead single of his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, which topped charts in several countries.
On October 5, 2010, Bruno Mars released the album Doo-Wops & Hooligans, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and topped the charts in the UK, the Netherlands and Canada.
On October 18, 2010, Bruno Mars began a co-headlining European concert tour with Travie McCoy which lasted until early November.
In November 2010, Bruno Mars headlined The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour, which ran until January 2012.
From 2010 to 2017, Bruno Mars co-directed ten music videos from his albums Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Unorthodox Jukebox, 24K Magic, and singles with Cameron Duddy, starting his journey as a music-video director.
In 2010, Bruno Mars provided backing vocals on the Sugababes's album, Sweet 7, and was featured on Travie McCoy's "Billionaire", which peaked in the top ten of several music charts.
In 2010, Bruno Mars released his first studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, which achieved critical and commercial success, spawning international hit singles.
In 2010, Bruno Mars's former songwriting and record-production team, the Smeezingtons, received several accolades, including best songwriters of the year by Music Week.
In June 2011, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe co-headlined the Hooligans in Wondaland Tour, playing North American dates.
At the 2011 Grammy Awards, Bruno Mars won his first Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way You Are" and received six other nominations.
In 2011, Bruno Mars appeared in two commercials for Bench and was photographed with Joan Smalls in 1950s-influenced suits for Vogue's "La Isla Bonita" clothing line.
In 2011, Bruno Mars developed the second concept and treatment for "The Lazy Song" and brought in Cameron Duddy to co-direct its music video.
In 2011, Bruno Mars released "It Will Rain" on The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 film soundtrack. He also appeared on "Mirror" with Lil Wayne, "Lighters" with Bad Meets Evil and "Young, Wild & Free" with Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg.
In January 2012, The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour which was headlined by Bruno Mars concluded.
In March 2012, Bruno Mars signed a worldwide publishing deal with BMG Chrysalis US.
In a September 2012 interview for Billboard magazine, Bruno Mars affirmed his next album would be more varied musically.
In October 2012, "Locked Out of Heaven" was released, preceding the album Unorthodox Jukebox. The song achieved significant chart success, topping the U.S. and Canadian charts and reaching the top ten in several other countries during October 2012.
On December 11, 2012, Bruno Mars released his album Unorthodox Jukebox in the US, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 before topping the chart.
At the 2012 Grammy Awards, Bruno Mars was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Doo-Wops & Hooligans, among other nominations. He also received his first American Music Award, International Male Solo Artist at the Brit Awards, and the Echo Award for Best International Male.
In 2012, "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade" were the best-selling digital singles of the year, and Bruno Mars was the year's biggest-selling artist.
In 2012, Bruno Mars released his second studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox, which achieved critical and commercial success, producing numerous international hit singles.
In May 2013, Bruno Mars contributed vocals to the EDM trio Major Lazer's song "Bubble Butt", which also featured rappers Tyga and 2 Chainz and singer Mystic.
In June 2013, Billboard estimated Bruno Mars's earnings at $18,839,681, positioning him as the year's twelfth-highest-paid musician.
In June 2013, Bruno Mars's second headlining concert tour, the Moonshine Jungle Tour, began. The tour eventually grossed $156.4 million.
On September 8, 2013, it was announced that Bruno Mars would be the headline performer at the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers as guests.
Bruno Mars was named Billboard's 2013 Artist of the Year, recognizing his achievements in music.
In 2013, Billboard ranked Bruno Mars sixth on its list of Hot 100 Songwriters.
In 2013, Bruno Mars received the Best Choreography award at the MTV Video Music Awards for choreographing the video for "Treasure".
In 2013, Bruno Mars told Rolling Stone that record executives "had trouble categorizing him" and were unsure which radio stations would play his songs or to which audience (Black or White) he would appeal.
In 2013, Rolling Stone ranked Bruno Mars 35th on its list of 50 Best Live Acts Right Now, highlighting the universal appeal of his concerts, which attract audiences of all ages. The review praised his old-school showmanship, hit performances, energetic band, and drum solos.
In June 2014, Forbes reported that Bruno Mars earned $60 million between June 2013 and June 2014 for his music and tour, ranking him thirteenth on the magazine's Celebrity 100 list.
In September 2014, Bruno Mars began working on his third studio album.
In October 2014, Bruno Mars's second headlining concert tour, the Moonshine Jungle Tour, came to an end, having grossed $156.4 million.
On November 10, 2014, Mark Ronson released "Uptown Funk" featuring Bruno Mars. The song achieved widespread success, topping charts in several countries and spending fourteen weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2014, Bruno Mars donated $100,000 to the orphans of Bantay Bata, victims of Typhoon Haiyan. He also performed at the Make It Right concert and the Robin Hood Foundation's annual benefit.
In 2014, Bruno Mars featured on Mark Ronson's single "Uptown Funk", which became Billboard's best-performing song of the 2010s.
In 2015, similarities between "Uptown Funk" and "Oops Up Side Your Head" (1979) by the Gap Band led to the latter's writers being added as co-writers of "Uptown Funk" and receiving publishing royalties. Serbian singer Viktorija also claimed "Uptown Funk" infringed on one of her tracks that year but chose not to sue.
In May 2016, Bruno Mars began Gorilla Management, which was operated by Aaron Elharar.
In June 2016, Bruno Mars earned an estimated $39 million through June 2017, placing him sixth on Forbes' World's Highest Paid Celebrities list.
On November 18, 2016, Bruno Mars released 24K Magic, which debuted at number two in Canada, France, New Zealand, and the US.
In 2016 Bruno Mars was an NRJ Artist of Honor in recognition of his contribution to music.
In 2016, Bruno Mars began his concert residency, Bruno Mars at Park MGM.
In 2016, Bruno Mars released his third studio album, 24K Magic, which achieved critical and commercial success, later winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
In 2016, electro-funk band Collage sued Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars for allegedly copying their 1983 single, "Young Girls".
In 2016, the name of the lounge bar was inspired by the lyrics of "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars.
In 2017, Forbes announced that Bruno Mars was America's highest-paid musician, with an estimated total of $100 million earned from June 2016 through June 2017. This placed him eleventh on the Celebrity 100 list and marked his highest yearly earnings to date.
On September 27, 2017, Bruno Mars expanded his camp scholarship to applicants from throughout the United States, in honor of his mother.
From 2010 to 2017, Bruno Mars co-directed ten music videos from his albums Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Unorthodox Jukebox, 24K Magic, and singles with Cameron Duddy, concluding this period of co-direction.
In 2017 Bruno Mars received an Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards and a Visionary Award at the Teen Choice Awards.
In 2017, Bruno Mars and Jonathan Lia received a nomination at the BET Awards for Video Director of the Year for directing "That's What I Like".
In 2017, Bruno Mars began the 24K Magic World Tour (2017–2018), which ranks among the highest-grossing tours in history.
In 2017, Fuse TV credited Bruno Mars with bringing the "funkalicious vibes of retro pop and R&B back to modern music".
In 2017, Lastrada Entertainment filed a lawsuit against Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, alleging similarities between "Uptown Funk" and "More Bounce to the Ounce" (1980) by Zapp. They sought damages and a jury trial to prevent Ronson from profiting from "Uptown Funk".
Between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019, Bruno Mars earned $51.5 million.
In 2018, Bruno Mars co-directed the music video for "Finesse" with Florent Dechard, starting a collaboration on several music videos.
In 2018, Bruno Mars donated 24,000 meals to the Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division's 48th annual Thanksgiving Dinner.
In 2018, Bruno Mars matched Beyonce and Mariah Carey as the only artists with three top-five singles in the U.S. from their first three studio albums.
In 2018, Bruno Mars worked on Chic's studio album It's About Time and collaborated with Gucci Mane and Kodak Black on "Wake Up in the Sky" for Mane's album Evil Genius.
In 2018, a Billboard article noted that no male artist in pop music during the 2010s had a longer success streak than Bruno Mars, and Slate considered him "the most consistent male pop star of the 2010s".
The 24K Magic World Tour, which began in 2017, concluded in 2018 and ranks among the highest-grossing tours in history.
In February 2019, Bruno Mars and Cardi B released "Please Me". The single reached the top three on the Billboard Hot 100.
On June 1, 2019, Bruno Mars was listed 54th on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list.
In 2019, Bruno Mars and Florent Dechard earned a nomination for Video Director of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards for their collaborations.
In 2019, Bruno Mars was number 41 on Billboard's list of greatest all-time artists.
In 2019, Margaret Farrell of Stereogum said that "Uptown Funk"'s success solidified Bruno Mars's "kingly pop stature".
In February 2020, a partnership was announced between Bruno Mars and Disney for a "music-themed theatrical narrative" film.
In 2020, Bruno Mars donated $1 million to the MGM Resorts Foundation to assist MGM employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also donated autographed microphones to support youth music education programs.
On February 26, 2021, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak announced that they recorded an album as Silk Sonic.
On March 5, 2021, Bruno Mars released Lacoste x Ricky Regal, a luxury 1970s-inspired sportswear line with Lacoste, collaborating with creative director Louise Trotter and adopting an alter ego for design inspiration.
Billboard reported in September 2021 that Bruno Mars had earned $604.4 million from concerts, becoming one of less than 30 artists to cross the $600-million threshold.
In 2021, Billboard ranked Bruno Mars the third Top Artist of the 2010s and 14th on its list of Top Touring Artists of the 2010s.
In 2021, Bruno Mars and Florent Dechard directed the video for "Leave the Door Open", for which they received the BET Award for Video Director of the Year award. The video also received the 2021 MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing.
In 2021, Bruno Mars was reportedly paid $3.2 million to perform at the Cape Cod wedding of the Motorola CEO's son.
In 2021, Bruno Mars, alongside Anderson .Paak, released An Evening with Silk Sonic as the musical superduo Silk Sonic. The album featured the US number-one single "Leave the Door Open".
In 2021, Pollstar named Bruno Mars the hip-hop/R&B touring artist of the 2010s.
In 2021, WBLS recognized that Bruno Mars "has been a dominant force in popular culture for more than a decade".
In 2022, Bruno Mars at Park MGM residency won Top R&B Tour at the Billboard Music Awards.
In 2022, Bruno Mars was the first artist with six Diamond-certified songs in the U.S.
In 2022, Bruno Mars, along with Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Shawn Mendes, and Rosalía, was named co-chair for the Grammy Museum's Campaign for Music Education, aiming to raise money for its educational programs.
In October 2023, it was announced that the Pinky Ring, a lounge bar on the Las Vegas Strip, was scheduled to open in early 2024, featuring "moody" lighting, a specialty bar, live music, and DJs.
On November 7, 2023, Bruno Mars's partnership with Fender on the "Bruno Mars Stratocaster", a limited-edition Fender Stratocaster in a color called "Mars Mocha Heirloom", was announced.
In 2023, the Bruno Mars world tour continued in South Korea, the Philippines, Brazil, and Chile. After performing in Tel Aviv on October 4, a second Tel Aviv concert scheduled for October 7 along with a concert in Doha scheduled for the following day were cancelled due to the October 7 attack.
On February 12, 2024, the Pinky Ring lounge bar opened, with The Hooligans performing every night of its first two weeks. Bruno Mars celebrated by wearing a pinky ring created by Tiffany & Co.
In August 2024, Bruno Mars appeared in a commercial for the Japanese discount-store Don Quijote, dancing with other dancers while picking up articles from its People Brand (Jōnetsu kakaku).
In September 2024, Bruno Mars (as Ricky Regal) partnered with Stetson to release a new hat "silhouette inspired by the American heritage brand's early designs".
In December 2024, Bruno Mars and Hello Kitty collaborated to celebrate Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary and the opening of Mars's Park MGM residency.
As of 2024, Bruno Mars's residency is one of the highest-grossing, with $154.8 million earned.
In 2024 Bruno Mars made the list of Billboard's Honorable Mentions for Greatest Pop Stars.
In 2024, Bruno Mars became the first artist since Michael Jackson to sell out seven shows at the 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome. His two concerts in Taiwan attracted 157,000 people.
In 2024, Bruno Mars co-directed the Don Quijote campaign commercial with Daniel Ramos.
In 2024, Bruno Mars performed a charity concert sponsored by Budweiser Brasil at the Tokio Marine Hall in São Paulo to aid victims of the 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods.
On January 24, 2025, Bruno Mars and Sexyy Red released "Fat Juicy & Wet".
In June 2025, Bruno Mars was the featured artist for Fortnite Festival's ninth season. "Bonde do Brunão" was released as a single to commemorate the event.
In June 2025, Regal and Stetson released a new cowboy hat, the "Regal 10X Straw". In June 2025, Bruno Mars was the featured artist for Season 9 of the Fortnite Festival.
In December 2025, Bruno Mars revealed that he and Rosé have worked on another song, but have yet to release it.
As of 2025, Bruno Mars holds the record for most nominations as a male artist for Record (eight) and Song of the Year (seven).
In 2025, Bruno Mars and Daniel Ramos directed the videos for "Die with a Smile" and "APT.". The former won Favorite Music Video at the American Music Awards, while the latter received Best Collaboration Video (International) at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards Japan.
In 2025, Bruno Mars was the first artist to spend 30 weeks at number one on the Billboard Global 200. He occupied both the number one and two on the Global 200 year-end list of 2025.
On January 5, 2026, Bruno Mars tweeted that his next album was done.
On January 30, 2026, Bruno Mars was announced as the 2026 Record Store Day ambassador. In celebration, he released Collaborations, a compilation album which highlights his collaborative hits.
On February 27, 2026, Bruno Mars released The Romantic, which opened atop the Billboard 200. "Risk It All" was released as the second single alongside the album. He also embarked on The Romantic Tour.
In March 2026, Bruno Mars signed a global publishing deal with Avex Music Group.
In March 2026, Bruno Mars, as part of his Ricky Regal collaboration with Stetson issued 100 "cowboy hats" in black or fawn.
In 2026, Bruno Mars became one of the artists with the most number-one hits on Digital Song Sales and was the first solo male artist with twelve number-ones in the U.S. Mainstream Top 40 chart.
In 2026, Bruno Mars released his first solo album in ten years, The Romantic, which spawned the global number-one singles "I Just Might" and "Risk It All", the former becoming his first song to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100.
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