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.”
Elsewhere in the ceremony, Raye performed This Music May Contain Hope’s “I Hate The Way I Look Today” accompanied by a full big band. A number of other nominees also took the staege: Jade performed “Angel of My Dreams” from That’s Showbiz, Baby, Dean sang “Let Alone The One You Love,” and Florence and the Machine offered a rendition of “One Of the Greats.” Pulp also took the stage to play “Begging for Change” off the War Child Records compilation Help (2), which raised money for children living in war zones.