Raye wins 2026 Mercury prize for new album
British singer Raye has won the 2026 Mercury prize for her album This Music May Contain Hope.
Judges praise the record scope
The judging panel selected the album as the best British or Irish release of the year. They noted that the work displays real imagination and goes beyond any single genre to realise a specific vision. The award comes with a prize fund of 25,000 pounds.
Album chart performance details
This Music May Contain Hope topped the UK charts upon release. The record contains the global hit single Where Is My Husband which reached number one in the United Kingdom. Previous work by the artist also won six Brit awards during a separate ceremony.
Nomination field and rivals
Raye beat out Olivia Dean, Paul McCartney and other nominees for the honour. The list of finalists included entries from Dave, Dove Ellis and Florence plus the Machine among others. Past winners of this award include Arlo Parks and Little Simz.
All 2 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- The Guardian
- Variety
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