RAYE was officially announced as the overall winner of the 2026 Mercury Prize 'Album of the Year' at a star-studded ceremony hosted live from Newcastle
Raye has won the 2026 Mercury Prize for her second album, This Music May Contain Hope. She clinched the award over competition including Sir Paul McCartney, Olivia Dean, Florence and the Machine, Jade, and Nia Archives. It’s Raye’s first time winning the prize; her 2023 album, My 21st Century Blues, also made the shortlist, but lost out to Ezra Collective.
Accepting the award during a ceremony in Newcastle, Raye said, "Albums are so important, and not to be bitter–because I feel like I’m mostly at peace with my past–but to come from a place where it’s all about singles and chasing the next thing, I just feel so grateful to be recognised. Hope is a very cheesy word, especially for us British people, we don’t do that deep stuff like that, but hope is something we all need…so I hope that message comes across to anyone who needs it.”
The acclaimed singer-songwriter received the prestigious trophy from DJ Sian Eleri on behalf of the judging panel before delivering a jaw-dropping performance of her track "I Hate The Way I Look Today," earning a passionate standing ovation from the audience.
Her winning record, THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE., triumphed over a wildly diverse shortlist featuring 12 outstanding releases. Divided into four distinct musical sections, the ambitious album weaves jazz, soul, R&B, and classical orchestration with old-school Hollywood elegance and raw, real-world narrative storytelling. Praising her artistic vision, the judging panel highlighted how the scale, structure, and emotional resonance of the project demonstrate the enduring power of the album format in the modern streaming era, calling her win an inspiration for future generations.
