Raye wins 2026 Mercury prize for This Music May Contain Hope
Singer who has had record-breaking Brit awards success adds to haul thanks to massively ambitious big-band album Raye is the winner of the 2026 Mercury prize, for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope. Her win – for a hugely ambitious 73-minute record that spanned big band jazz, power balladry, funk and more – caps an ongoing renaissance for a British singer who at one point was in the doldrums…
Key points
- Raye won the 2026 Mercury prize for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope.
- The 73-minute album spans big band jazz, power balladry and funk, and topped the UK charts.
- The award was presented at a ceremony in Newcastle and carries a £25,000 prize.
Raye has won the 2026 Mercury prize for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope. The award, given yearly to the best British or Irish album as voted by a panel of music industry figures, was handed out at a ceremony in Newcastle and comes with a £25,000 prize.
The 73-minute album spans big band jazz, power balladry, funk and more. It topped the UK charts and includes the global hit Where Is My Husband!, which reached No 1 in the UK and No 6 in the US.
Judges praise scale and ambition
The judging panel said Raye shows real imagination and scope in demonstrating what an album can be, going beyond any one style or genre. The judges hailed the album's scale, structure, ambition and sheer charm, and said it would serve as a huge inspiration for years to come.
The Guardian's pop critic Alexis Petridis wrote that the album has flaws but pays off more often than it fails.
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!
— Raye
Career comeback and ceremony
The win caps a turnaround for the 28-year-old singer, born Rachel Keen in west London. After publicly criticising her former label in 2021 for not releasing a studio album, she split from it and won six Brit awards with My 21st Century Blues, still the record for a single Brits ceremony.
Accepting the award in Newcastle, Raye said she was shaking, jet-lagged, tired and grateful. She also said hope is something we all need and that she hoped the album's message reaches anyone who needs it.
Paul McCartney missed out in his first year of nomination, for The Boys of Dungeon Lane. Suede, Dave and Pulp also did not win, and Florence + the Machine now share the record for most nominations without a win, at five.
