British singer Raye performs at the NorthSide Festival in Aarhus, Denmark June 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS

Singer Raye Wins 2026 Mercury Prize for ‘This Music May Contain Hope

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Singer Raye won the 2026 Mercury Prize on Thursday evening in Newcastle for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope, at a live ceremony held at the Utilita Arena.

Raye triumphed over a competitive 12-album shortlist that included veteran Paul McCartney, rock band Suede, rapper Dave, and fellow pop artists Olivia Dean and Jade, earning a £25,000 cash prize given for the best overall album released by a British or Irish act over the past year.

Judges Reward 73-Minute Winning Record

The judging panel, chaired by Jeff Smith, praised the scale, structure, ambition and sheer charm of Raye’s 73-minute project blending big band jazz, power balladry, funk, and orchestral pop.

Mistajam, Jamie Cullum, Lea Stonhill, Sian Eleri, Phil Alexander, Will Hodgkinson, Afrodeutsche, Sophie Williams, and Daniella Perry comprised this year’s judging committee, with Jeff Smith holding the position of chair. Greeting the panel upon their arrival at the central railway station in Newcastle was the LNER Mini Mercury Choir, comprising young people from regional institutions such as the Newcastle Children’s Choir, the Gosforth Voices choir, Regent Farm First School, Hotspur Primary School, and various other parts of the municipality.

RAYE – I Hate The Way I Look Today. | Mercury Prize 2026 (Overall winner)

While the twelve albums shortlisted for the 2026 Mercury Prize were wildly different, each one demonstrated how the album continues to be the ideal format for an artist or group wishing to get their artistic statement out into the world. We believe the album continues to have an important role to play in music in the age of streaming, which is why the judges felt the scale, structure, ambition and sheer charm of this year’s winner was the right choice for the 2026 Mercury Prize ‘Album of the Year’.

Her independent release, My 21st Century Blues, broke records at the Brit Awards with six wins before This Music May Contain Hope topped the UK charts. The victory marks another major career milestone for the 28-year-old singer, born Rachel Keen, following a turbulent period that saw her split from her former record label in 2021 after facing roadblocks in releasing a studio album.

The tracklist of her sophomore record comprises Where Is My Husband!, Nightingale Lane, I Know You’re Hurting, and Click Clack Symphony, which features Hans Zimmer.

Raye Delivers Emotional Speech in Newcastle

An emotional Raye told the audience she was shaking and jetlagged after a whirlwind schedule when accepting the trophy on stage.

A huge crowd gathered in the train station, with sunlight leaking in through the transluscent, curved roof. A choir leader
Photo: BBC

Raye also took to the stage to perform the jazzy track I Hate The Way I Look Today. The ceremony at the Utilita Arena also featured live performances from several shortlisted nominees, including Florence + the Machine, JADE, Knats, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives, Olivia Dean, and Suede, alongside Pulp performing on behalf of the War Child charity compilation Help(2). Sir Paul McCartney and Dave did not perform live.

Shortlist Highlights Northern Cultural Fringe

The Mercury Prize ceremony’s relocation to Newcastle for a second year has been celebrated as part of the region’s cultural events.

Festivities included youth engagement events, live gigs planned by teenagers, and a memorable welcome at Newcastle’s central railway station ahead of the main event, where arriving judges were greeted by the LNER Mini Mercury Choir—a youth ensemble featuring children from local schools and choirs conducted by Charlotte Galloway, all coordinated by local music development agency Generator.

Contenders in the running for the 2026 accolade additionally encompassed Dave with The Boy Who Played The Harp, Florence + The Machine featuring Everybody Scream, Dove Ellis presenting Blizzard, JADE with THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY!, Knats and their A Great Day In Newcastle, Kojey Radical supplying Don’t Look Down, Nia Archives with Emotional Junglist, Suede offering Antidepressants, the HELP(2) compilation from War Child, alongside Olivia Dean’s chart-topping The Art of Loving and Paul McCartney’s The Boys of Dungeon Lane.

Raye’s victory follows Sam Fender’s 2025 win for People Watching.

I Hate The Way I Look Today

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