Singer-songwriter and Variety Hitmakers 2024 honoree Raye has won the 2026 Mercury prize for her epic second studio album, “This Music May Contain Hope,” beating out Olivia Dean, Paul McCartney and others for the prize.
The Mercury Prize has no real equivalent in the U.S., is intended to recognize music from the U.K. and Ireland; the BRIT Awards are more of a British equivalent to the Grammys. Past Mercury Prize best album winners include Arlo Parks, Little Simz, the XX, James Blake and others.
Raye’s album topped fellow nominees Dave (for “The Boy Who Played the Harp”), Dove Ellis (“Blizzard”). Florence + the Machine (“Everybody Scream”), Jade (“That’s Showbiz Baby!”), Knats (“A Great Day in Newcastle”), Kojey Radical (“Don’t Look Down”), Nia Archives (“Emotional Junglist”), Olivia Dean (“The Art of Loving”), Paul McCartney (“The Boys of Dungeon Lane”), Suede (“Antidepressants”) and the War Child “Help(2)” compilation.
Variety wrote of Raye’s album: “Suffice it to say, the album does not lack for ambition: Divided into four sections based on the seasons, it sprawls across a surprisingly fast-moving 70 minutes, 17 songs and nearly as many styles. Inevitably, it runs the risk of being too much for some listeners: too many songs, too many stylistic pivots, too much of… well, basically everything. This is not an album for background listening — it basically demands your attention.
“But as artists from Queen to Beyoncé have proven, ambition and excess can be glorious things when deployed with intelligence and humor, and while we’re not equating Raye with either of the above, there’s a similar sense here of trusting the artist to take you on an interesting voyage without wasting your time.”
Performers at the show included Suede, Pulp, and others. Variety will have a full winners list after the show concludes.