Raye wins the Mercury Prize with This Music May Contain Hope
The pop star beat artists like Paul McCartney, Suede and Jade Thirlwall to lift the £25,000 prize.
On October 22, RAYE triumphed at the 2026 Mercury Prize ceremony held at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, England. It marked her first win in the competition; her 2023 album, My 21st Century Blues, was also nominated. RAYE became the first solo female artist to claim the award since Little Simz in 2022. The shortlist included Olivia Dean, Paul McCartney, and Dave, among others.
The winner was announced by BBC Radio 1 DJ Sian Eleri during the ceremony hosted by Lauren Laverne. The Mercury Prize celebrates outstanding achievement in albums across various genres, recognizing both established and emerging artists across the UK and Ireland. Since its inception in 1992, the award has honored albums like Primal Scream's Screamadelica (1992), Pulp's Different Class (1996), PJ Harvey's To Bring You My Love (2001, 2011), Arctic Monkeys' Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006), and more.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- RAYE Wins 2026 Mercury Prize With ‘This Music May Contain Hope’ billboard.com
- Raye Wins Mercury Prize for Album of the Year variety.com
- Raye Wins 2026 Mercury Prize pitchfork.com
- Raye Wins 2026 Mercury Prize stereogum.com
