# Raye wins Mercury Prize 2026 for This Music May Contain Hope, beating Paul McCartney and Dave

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/entertainment/raye-wins-mercury-prize-2026-for-this-music-may-contain-hope-beating-paul)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 23 Oct 2026
Updated: 23 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 25 Oct 2026

> The London singer took the UK's album of the year award and its £25,000 prize in Newcastle on Thursday night, ahead of Olivia Dean, Florence + the Machine and Suede.

**Raye has won the 2026 Mercury Prize for her second album, This Music May Contain Hope**, beating a shortlist that included Sir Paul McCartney, Dave, Olivia Dean, Jade, Florence + the Machine and Suede. The award was announced at a ceremony in Newcastle on Thursday 22 October, which ended in the early hours of Friday in Pakistan, [ITV News reported](https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2026-10-22/raye-wins-mercury-prize-2026-for-album-this-music-may-contain-hope).

The prize is worth **£25,000** plus a trophy, about Rs 9.3 million at Friday's sterling rate (see our [pound to rupee page](/data/gbp-pkr) or the [currency converter](/tools/finance/currency-converter)).

## The album that won

This Music May Contain Hope came out in March and went straight to number one in the UK album chart. Its singles include:

- **Click Clack Symphony**, recorded with film composer Hans Zimmer
- **I Know You're Hurting**
- **Nightingale Lane**
- **Where Is My Husband!**

[Variety](https://variety.com/2026/music/news/raye-wins-mercury-prize-album-of-the-year-1236921858/) and Billboard also reported the win.

## Who else was on the shortlist

Twelve albums were shortlisted. Among the names Raye beat:

| Artist | Note |
|---|---|
| Sir Paul McCartney | Former Beatle |
| Dave | London rapper |
| Olivia Dean | Performed on the night |
| Jade | Former Little Mix member from South Shields, also performed |
| Florence + the Machine | |
| Suede | |
| Knats | Newcastle jazz band, nominated for A Great Day In Newcastle |

## What the Mercury Prize is

The prize was set up in 1992 and goes each year to the best album by a UK or Irish artist, judged on the music rather than sales. Newcastle hosted the ceremony for the second year running. Last year's winner was Sam Fender, for his third album, People Watching.

The Mercury is judged by a panel of musicians, broadcasters and critics, and a win usually brings a sales lift for the album in the weeks that follow. This Music May Contain Hope is on all the major streaming services available in Pakistan, including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music.

## Frequently asked questions

**Who won the Mercury Prize 2026?**

Raye won the 2026 Mercury Prize on 22 October for her second album, This Music May Contain Hope, beating a shortlist that included Paul McCartney, Dave and Olivia Dean.

## Sources

- RAYE wins Mercury Prize 2026 for album This Music May Contain Hope (ITV News): https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2026-10-22/raye-wins-mercury-prize-2026-for-album-this-music-may-contain-hope
- Raye Wins Mercury Prize for Album of the Year (Variety): https://variety.com/2026/music/news/raye-wins-mercury-prize-album-of-the-year-1236921858/

How to cite: "Raye wins Mercury Prize 2026 for This Music May Contain Hope, beating Paul McCartney and Dave", Searchable, 23 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/entertainment/raye-wins-mercury-prize-2026-for-this-music-may-contain-hope-beating-paul