RAYE has won the 2026 Mercury Prize for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope, the prize organisers announced on October 22. The award was presented at a ceremony at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, hosted by Lauren Laverne and broadcast on BBC Four and BBC Radio 6 Music.
The Mercury Prize win caps a remarkable journey for the British singer-songwriter, whose debut album My 21st Century Blues was nominated for the same prize in 2023. This time, RAYE took home the £25,000 prize and performed I Hate The Way I Look Today from the winning album to a standing ovation.
Why The Judges Chose RAYE
The judging panel praised the album’s scale, structure, ambition and sheer charm, according to the official Mercury Prize statement. The judges said RAYE displays real imagination and scope in showing what an album can be, going beyond any one style or genre to realise her vision.
Divided into four sections, This Music May Contain Hope moves through jazz, soul, R&B and classical influences. The panel described shades of old-school Hollywood glamour combined with kitchen-sink realism, telling the story of a young woman navigating the everyday trials of life and love.
That breadth was central to the decision. In a shortlist spanning pop, rock, rap, jazz and experimental music, the judges said the winning album stood out for its ambition and for the way it treats the album itself as a complete artistic statement in the streaming era.
A Strong Shortlist
RAYE beat a 12-album shortlist that included Paul McCartney’s The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, Olivia Dean’s The Art Of Loving, Florence + The Machine’s Everybody Scream, JADE’s That’s Showbiz, Baby!, Dave’s The Boy Who Played The Harp and Suede’s Antidepressants.
The other nominees were Dove Ellis, Knats, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives and the War Child compilation Help(2). Most of the shortlisted artists performed at the ceremony, with Pulp performing on behalf of the Help(2) album, according to prize coverage.
RAYE is the first female solo artist to win the Mercury Prize since Little Simz in 2022, and the result adds to a run of recent winners including Sam Fender in 2025 and English Teacher in 2024. For RAYE, the prize is both recognition and momentum — a major award for an album built, deliberately, as a long-form work.
