Raye has claimed the 2026 Mercury Prize for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope, marking another major achievement for a British artist who has experienced a remarkable career turnaround in recent years. The award recognises a 17-track work spanning big band jazz, power balladry, funk and multiple other genres across its 73-minute runtime. According to The Guardian, the prize comes with a £25,000 award and is voted for by a panel of music industry figures.
The album, released on 27 March through Human Re Sources, topped the UK charts and produced the global hit Where is My Husband?. Its ambitious scope includes collaborations with Hans Zimmer on "Click Clack Symphony" and Al Green on "Goodbye Henry," according to BBC Music. At the ceremony, Raye performed "I Hate the Way I Look Today" with a jazz ensemble in an accelerated arrangement that highlighted the song's jazz influences.
How did Raye reach this point?
Raye's Mercury Prize win caps a remarkable recovery for an artist who faced significant setbacks earlier in her career. In 2021, she was in professional limbo, publicly criticising her record label for preventing her from releasing a studio album. After splitting from that label, she achieved breakthrough success with My 21st Century Blues, which earned her six Brit awards—still the record for a single Brits ceremony. This Music May Contain Hope represents her continued ascent and demonstrates her artistic range across multiple genres.
Who else was nominated?
Paul McCartney missed out in his first year of nomination, for his reflective album The Boys of Dungeon Lane. In a video message, he expressed that he was
"chuffed" and "surprised" to be nominated on a shortlist alongside "such a group of really amazing artists". Suede, who opened the ceremony by performing their pro-European anthem Dancing With the Europeans, were unable to secure a second Mercury win to add to their 1993 victory, the second year the award ran. Dave, winner in 2019 for his debut album Psychodrama, also failed to win this year; he and McCartney were the only artists not to perform at the ceremony.
Pulp performed for the second consecutive year, representing the all-star compilation album Help, created to raise funds for the charity War Child. Florence + the Machine now hold the joint record for most nominations without a win, tied with Radiohead on five unconverted nominations.
What is the Mercury Prize's current trajectory?
The Mercury Prize has undergone significant repositioning following the loss of its sponsor in 2024. The award moved from London to Newcastle in 2025, relocating to the city's Utilita Arena and scaling up in size. In its inaugural year in its new home, the Mercury was awarded to local artist Sam Fender, though Newcastle jazz band Knats, who impressed the arena crowd with virtuosic bass soloing and spoken word poetry, were unable to secure back-to-back Tyneside wins.
However, concerns have emerged that the prize is becoming increasingly commercial and less distinct from the Brit awards. In 2025, seven of the 12 nominated albums reached the UK Top 3, while this year six of the nominations reached No. 1, with another two achieving Top 3 status. All but two of the albums—Suede's Antidepressants and the Help charity compilation—were released by or in partnership with the three major labels: Universal, Warner and Sony. This represents a shift from previous years, when the UK's independent music scene received stronger representation, with winners including Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal, Sampha and Ezra Collective.
Who judged the 2026 award?
This year's judging panel comprised musicians, broadcasters, journalists and consultants: Afrodeutsche, Danielle Perry, Jamie Cullum, Lea Stonhill, Mistajam, Phil Alexander, Sian Eleri, Sophie Williams and Will Hodgkinson, with Jeff Smith serving as chair.
When will the ceremony be broadcast?
The ceremony is scheduled for a delayed BBC Four broadcast at 21:30 BST on 22 October.
