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RAYE wins the 2026 Mercury Prize for 'This Music May Contain Hope'

British singer RAYE has won the 2026 Mercury Prize, the annual award for the best album of the year in the UK and Ireland. She took the prize for 'This Music May Contain Hope', with the ceremony held in Newcastle.

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British singer-songwriter RAYE has won the 2026 Mercury Prize, the annual award for the best album of the year in the UK and Ireland. She won for her album 'This Music May Contain Hope', released in March, which went to Number 1 in its first week.

A ceremony in Newcastle

The prize was presented at Newcastle's Utilita Arena, hosted by Lauren Laverne. The judges said RAYE 'displays real imagination and scope in showing what an album can be'.

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Accepting the award, the singer said: 'Hope is a very cheesy word, but hope is something we all need.'

Who she beat

The shortlist of twelve Albums of the Year featured some major names, among them Paul McCartney, Olivia Dean, Dave and Suede. The Mercury Prize is valued for rewarding artistic coherence — the album as a single statement — rather than sales.

For RAYE, who grew up in south London, the win cements one of the most striking recent rises in British pop and soul.

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Published 30 October 2026, 12:05 (1h ago) 1 min read Editorial desk of the British newspaper ONLYWAY NEWS - LONDON - UK

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