Singer-songwriter Raye has won the 2026 Mercury Prize for her second album, This Music May Contain Hope.
The winner of the 2026 Mercury Prize is… RAYE – ‘THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.’ 🏆 #MercuryPrize https://t.co/ktyiTCmFlT
— Mercury Prize (@MercuryPrize) October 22, 2026
The announcement was made at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, with Raye among the performers on the night.
Raye on stage at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle before the winner was announced
Raye – whose real name is Rachel Agatha Keen – had been among the favourites to win the award, which honours the best album of the year in the UK and Ireland.
In an emotional winner’s speech, Raye said: “I’ve always banged on about how much I believe in albums.
“I wanted to make seven-minute songs.
“I wanted to go to a big band section ‘there’, and do strings ‘there’, and, like, just be really indulgent.”
An emotional Raye makes her way to the stage to accept the award
Referring to the album’s title, she said: “Hope is a very cheesy word, you know, especially for us British people.
“We don’t do that kind of deep stuff like that, but hope is just something that we all need, and music is medicine.”
Mixing styles from jazz to soul to pop, Raye’s album was released in March and includes the singles Click Clack Symphony (featuring Hans Zimmer), I Know You’re Hurting, Nightingale Lane, and Where Is My Husband!.
Along with a trophy, the winner of the Mercury Prize receives £25,000.
Galway singer-songwriter Dove Ellis was among this year’s Mercury Prize nominees for his debut solo album, Blizzard.
Other nominees included Olivia Dean for The Art of Loving, Paul McCartney for The Boys of Dungeon Lane, Dave for The Boy Who Played the Harp, Florence + the Machine for Everybody Scream, and Suede for Antidepressants.
Additional Reporting: Press Association