Raye wins Mercury Music Prize for her album ‘This Music May Contain Hope’

Raye has won the UK and Ireland Mercury Music Prize for her album ‘This Music May Contain Hope’ beating rivals including Sir Paul McCartney, Jade and Olivia Dean.

Her second album came out in March, debuted at Number One in the charts and includes the singles Click Clack Symphony (featuring Hans Zimmer), I Know You’re Hurting, Nightingale Lane and Where Is My Husband!

The 28-year-old singer, whose real name is Rachel Keen, beat fellow nominees such as rapper Dave, Florence + the Machine, and Suede, and the result was announced at a ceremony in Newcastle, the second successive year it has been held in the city.

From the stage at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, Raye said in an emotional winner’s speech: “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.”

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.”

The prize, created in 1992, is awarded each year to the best album by an artist from the UK or Ireland.

Albums are nominated based on musical merit, irrespective of how successful the record or act have been in the year.

Sam Fender won last year’s prize for his album People Watching.

Along with a trophy, the winner of the Mercury Prize receives £25,000.

The award-winning record was Raye’s first to top the UK album charts.

Thursday’s win comes ahead of Raye’s one-off performance at the Royal Albert Hall for her concert, This Symphony May Contain Hope.

The singer said the sign-up process for her show was “overwhelmed” by scalpers using artificial intelligence bots.

She received 1.8 million sign-ups for 5,000 seats at the hall for her concert on Friday October 23, but most of these were bots.

Raye first gained recognition when she sang vocals on the 2016 Jonas Blue single By Your Side and released several extended plays before her debut album My 21st Century Blues in 2023.

The south Londoner made history a year later when she won six categories at the Brit Awards – the most of any artist in one night – including songwriter and artist of the year.

Earlier this year, the singer said she would not write a third album until she falls in love.

She told the Sunday Times: “My third album, I think I’ve named it already.

“It’s going to be called And Then She Fell In Love. And I’m not writing a single song – be it one year, five years, 10 years – until that chapter of my life begins.”

Before posing for photographers, Raye said: “I was literally praying for either a boyfriend or a Mercury – it’s my birthday.”

She revealed she will not be partying after the win in a bid to protect her voice for the Royal Albert Hall show.

Asked about being an independent artist, not signed to a major label, she said: “It’s not an easy industry, it’s not easy coming up as a young woman.

“But I will say, I feel encouraged and I hope anyone feels encouraged because I used to watch speeches like this, wide-eyed – like anything’s possible if I just go for it, but as cheesy as that is now, it’s a real thing.

“It’s just persistence and relentlessness, which is required in this industry, especially being independent, you know?

“It’s not easy, but what a beautiful thing it is to get to dedicate your life to doing something that you love.

“And I really do. I adore music. I live in music. I live and breathe it.”