RAYE has another major award to add to her increasingly crowded trophy shelf.

The British singer-songwriter has won the 2026 Mercury Prize for her second album, This Music May Contain Hope.

RAYE, whose real name is Rachel Keen, beat out an impressive group of nominees that included Olivia Dean, JADE, Florence + The Machine and Paul McCartney, along with the War Child compilation album Help (2).

McCartney's nomination was particularly notable because, at 84 years old, it marked the first time the former Beatle had ever been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.

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But ultimately, it was RAYE who took home the award.

Judges praised This Music May Contain Hope for blending old-school Hollywood glamour with the realities of everyday life and relationships, describing the album as both joyful and hopeful.

The record includes RAYE's hit single Where Is My Husband!

The Mercury Prize recognizes the best album released by a British or Irish artist each year, with the winner chosen based on the music itself rather than album sales or chart success.

RAYE's Success Is Also a Pretty Incredible Comeback Story

This is RAYE's second Mercury Prize nomination, following her hugely successful debut album, My 21st Century Blues.

And the road to that first album wasn't exactly easy.

RAYE spent years signed to a major record label but publicly expressed frustration over not being allowed to release her debut album. She eventually parted ways with the label and moved forward as an independent artist.

Then things really took off.

My 21st Century Blues helped turn RAYE into one of Britain's biggest music stars and led to a historic night at the 2024 BRIT Awards, where she won six awards, setting a record for the most wins by an artist in a single year.

Now she's followed that up with a Mercury Prize for album number two.

Which makes the whole story even sweeter.

RAYE went from fighting to get permission to release an album…to beating Paul McCartney for one of Britain's biggest music prizes.

That's a pretty spectacular way to win an argument.