Raye wins 2026 Mercury prize for This Music May Contain Hope

Singer who previously had record-breaking Brit awards success adds to her trophy cabinet thanks to massively ambitious big-band album Raye is the winner of the 2026 Mercury prize, for her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope. Rewarded for a hugely ambitious 73-minute record that spanned big band jazz, power balladry, funk and more, her win caps an ongoing renaissance for a British singer who at one point was in the doldrums, lashing out publicly at her record label for not letting he