Born on April 10, 1990, in the Sardinian town of La Maddalena, Scanu debuted as a child in TV shows and contests such as Canzoni Sotto l'Albero and Bravo Bravissimo, the latter of which he won in 2002. In 2008 he took part in the eighth season of the reality show Amici di Maria De Filippi, in which he finished second behind winner Alessandra Amoroso -- a result that led him to sign a deal with EMI. The following year, two of his songs -- including the Top 20 hit "Can't Stop" -- were included in the annual Amici di Maria De Filippi season-ending compilation. The same year, Scanu also released the Sentimento EP, which became a Top Five success thanks to its eponymous single, and later the Valerio Scanu album arrived, gaining gold record status thanks to its pre-sales only. In February 2010 he won the Sanremo Music Festival with the romantic ballad "Per Tutte le Volte Che…," later included in an album with the same title. ~ Aurelio Pasini