Raye beats Paul McCartney and Florence And The Machine: she wins the 2026 Mercury Prize

Raye has won the 2026 Mercury Prize with her second album, “This Music May Contain Hope“. The British singer, born Rachel Keen, received the award on Thursday 22 October at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, beating out competition that included Olivia Dean, Jade, Florence + The Machine, Nia Archives and Paul McCartney, nominated for the first time at 84 with “The Boys Of Dungeon Lane“. Also in the running was the charity compilation “Help (2)“, released for War Child. It's Raye's first win, having previously been a finalist in 2023 with her debut “My 21st Century Blues“, when the prize went to Ezra Collective. A new milestone following the record she set at the 2024 Brit Awards, winning six honours in a single edition.

The jury praised “This Music May Contain Hope”, which includes the single “Where Is My Husband!”, for its ability to weave together old Hollywood glamour with the grit of everyday life, telling “the story of a young woman facing the daily trials of life and love, in an album that is joyful and, indeed, full of hope”.
“Raye shows real imagination and ambition in demonstrating what an album can be, moving beyond any single style or genre to realise her vision”, the judges explained. “The judges agree that Raye's extraordinary album will be a great source of inspiration for many years to come”.
Visibly moved, the singer accepted the award with these words: “I can't tell you how grateful I am to have this in my hands. I'm shaking, I'm jet-lagged, I'm tired, I'm grateful, it's all a blur”.

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Raye's speech also became a defence of the value of the album format and of artistic freedom, with a reference to her dispute with her former label, accused of preventing her from releasing her debut. After that split, “My 21st Century Blues” came out independently in 2023. “I've always insisted on how much I believe in albums. Albums are so important. And not to be bitter, because I think I'm mostly at peace with my past, you know? But coming from a background where everything is about singles and chasing the next thing, I feel so grateful to be recognised like this”.
At the heart of her words, finally, was the message that gives the album its title: “Now the tears are going to start flowing, so I'll just say 'This Music May Contain Hope'. 'Hope' is a very soppy word, especially for us Brits. We don't often do things this deep, but hope is something we all need. That's what music is, music is medicine. I just hope this message reaches whoever needs it, and thank you so much for this award”.

During the ceremony Raye performed “I Hate The Way I Look Today” backed by a big band. Also taking the stage were Jade with “Angel Of My Dreams”, Olivia Dean with “Let Alone The One You Love” and Florence + The Machine with “One Of The Greats”. Pulp, meanwhile, performed “Begging For Change”, their contribution to “Help (2)”, a compilation aimed at raising funds for children living in war zones.
The Mercury Prize is awarded each year to an album by a British or Irish artist. With this win Raye joins a roll of honour that includes, among others, Pulp, PJ Harvey, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Michael Kiwanuka, Little Simz, Arlo Parks and Young Fathers.

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