GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST BRUNO MARS TO OPEN "THE 2013 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS," AIRING SUNDAY, MAY 19 ON ABC

Atlantic recording artist and 14-time Grammy Award winner Bruno Mars, whose single, "When I Was Your Man," has ascended to the No. 1 spot single on the Billboard's Hot 100, will celebrate by opening the 2013 Billboard Music Awards with a live performance airing from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on SUNDAY, MAY 19 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. "The 2013 Billboard Music Awards" are sponsored by Chevrolet and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. For awards show updates and ticketing information, visit Billboard.com.

The single's chart-topping success comes hot on the heels of the album's sensational first single, "Locked Out of Heaven," which held the No. 1 position for six consecutive weeks earlier this year. "When I Was Your Man," which marks Mars' fifth single to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100, has exceeded sales of 2 million stateside and 1 million overseas. Mars is among the nominees for the Billboard Music Awards' Milestone Award.

Finalists for the Billboard Music Awards are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital singles sales, radio airplay, touring, streaming and social interactions on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, VEVO, Spotify and other popular online destinations for music. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Entertainment and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the reporting period of March 12, 2012 through March 10, 2013.

Billboard Music Award tickets went on sale April 4 at 1:00 p.m., ET / 10:00 a.m., PT, and will be available at MGM Grand and Ticketmaster locations. Ticket sales are limited to four (4) per person, and prices begin at $75.00 for Upper Level, not including applicable service charges and taxes. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

About Billboard

Billboard is the world's most influential music brand reaching key executives and tastemakers in and around the music business through Billboard magazine, Billboard.biz, Billboard Conferences, Billboard Bulletin, and other targeted newsletters, and millions of music fans through Billboard.com and Billboard Events. The Billboard brand is built on its exclusive charts and unrivaled reporting on the latest news, issues and trends across all genres of music. Billboard charts and content are consumed and referenced by millions of people in more than 100 countries through a content syndication deal with global news network, and strategic relationships with other major companies around the world. In addition to North America, Billboard operates businesses in Brazil, Japan, Korea and Russia.

Billboard is owned by Prometheus Global Media, which resides under the newly formed Guggenheim Digital Media, a diversified company with leading assets in the media and entertainment arenas, including: Music (Billboard and its related conferences, events, and awards shows such as The Billboard Music Awards on ABC, and The Billboard Latin Music Awards on Telemundo), Entertainment (The Hollywood Reporter, Backstage, ShowEast, CineAsia, and CineEurope); and Advertising & Marketing (Adweek, Adweek Conferences and The CLIO Awards).

About Don Mischer Productions

Don Mischer Productions is an internationally recognized leader in large scale event and television production. DMP has produced everything from Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies to Super Bowl Halftime shows to the Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, as well major award show broadcasts including the Oscars and Emmys. The company's principals are award-winning producer and director Don Mischer and producers Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare.

About the MGM Grand Garden Arena

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, U2, Lady Gaga, Sting, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to the annual Academy of Country Music Awards and the Frozen Fury NHL pre-season game which features the Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

About The LVCVA

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.7 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to LVCVA.com or LasVegas.com.