Ariana Grande-Butera (born June 26, 1993), professionally known as Ariana Grande, is an American singer and actress. She began her career singing on a cruise ship, at sporting events, and with various orchestras in South Florida. She appeared in the Broadway musical 13, before landing the role of Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon television series Victorious in 2009. After the show ended, Grande rose to prominence as a teen idol on her own spinoff, Sam & Cat, along with iCarly actress Jennette McCurdy.
As she kept herself busy with television, Grande began to pursue a musical career appearing on the soundtrack, Music from Victorious (2011), and subsequently signed a recording contract with Republic Records. She launched a music career after the release of her debut studio album, Yours Truly (2013), which debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. The album's lead single, "The Way", became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with critics comparing her wide vocal range to Mariah Carey.
Grande developed a maturing image while promoting her second studio album, My Everything (2014), which became her second consecutive number-one album in the United States. The album produced the successful tracks "Problem" and "Break Free". Some of her achievements include New Artist of the Year at the 2013 American Music Awards, Favorite Breakout Artist at the 40th People's Choice Awards, and Breakthrough Artist of the Year by the Music Business Association.