Raye wins 2026 Mercury prize for This Music May Contain Hope
The British singer's second album, a 73-minute record spanning jazz, funk and power ballads, took the £25,000 award at a ceremony in Newcastle.
At a glance
- Raye won the 2026 Mercury prize for her second album, This Music May Contain Hope, at a ceremony in Newcastle.
- The £25,000 award goes to the best British or Irish album, chosen by a panel of music industry figures.
- Paul McCartney, Suede, Dave and Olivia Dean were among the nominees who missed out on the prize.
Raye has won the 2026 Mercury prize for This Music May Contain Hope, her second studio album, at a ceremony in Newcastle. The award, handed out yearly to the best British or Irish album as voted for by a panel of music industry figures, comes with a £25,000 prize.
The 73-minute record spans big band jazz, power balladry and funk. The judging panel said: "Raye displays real imagination and scope in showing what an album can be, going beyond any one style or genre to realise her vision." The judges added that the album "will serve as a huge inspiration for years to come" and praised its "scale, structure, ambition and sheer charm".
From a label dispute to chart success
The win caps a turnaround for the 28-year-old singer, born Rachel Keen in west London. In 2021 she publicly criticised her then record label for not letting her release a studio album. She later split from that label and released My 21st Century Blues, which won her six Brit awards — still the record for a single Brits ceremony — followed by This Music May Contain Hope, which topped the UK charts.
Its lead single, Where Is My Husband!, reached No 1 in the UK and No 6 in the US. The album did not receive universally positive reviews; the Guardian's pop critic Alexis Petridis wrote that "there are flaws, but in fairness it pays off more often than it fails".
Accepting the award, Raye said: "I cannot tell you how grateful I am to be holding this. I'm shaking, I'm jet-lagged, I'm tired, I'm grateful!" She added: "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." She also said hope was "something we all need".
McCartney and Suede miss out
Paul McCartney missed out in his first year of nomination, for his album The Boys of Dungeon Lane. In a video message he said he was "chuffed" and "surprised" to be shortlisted alongside "such a group of really amazing artists". Suede, who opened the ceremony by performing Dancing With the Europeans, could not add to their 1993 win. Dave, the 2019 winner, and McCartney were the only nominees not to perform. Florence + the Machine now tie Radiohead as the prize's joint highest nominee without a win, on five unsuccessful nominations. Olivia Dean's The Art of Loving, which has spent all 55 weeks since release in the UK Top 10, also missed out.
The Mercury prize moved to Newcastle in 2025 and scaled up to the city's Utilita Arena; last year's winner was local artist Sam Fender. There has been some concern that the prize is becoming more commercial: six of this year's 12 nominations reached No 1, and all but two were released by or in partnership with the three major labels.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- Who won the 2026 Mercury prize?
- Raye won for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope. The judging panel praised the album's "scale, structure, ambition and sheer charm".
- How much money does the Mercury prize winner receive?
- The winner receives £25,000. The award is handed out yearly to the best British or Irish album as voted for by a panel of music industry figures.
- Who else was nominated for the 2026 Mercury prize?
- The shortlist included Paul McCartney, Suede, Dave, Olivia Dean, Florence + the Machine and the Newcastle jazz band Knats, among others.
