Raye defeated a shortlist that included Paul McCartney, Dave, Suede and Olivia Dean to take the prize at a ceremony in Newcastle's Utilita Arena. The judging panel praised her album's 'scale, structure, ambition and sheer charm', and said: 'Raye displays real imagination and scope in showing what an album can be, going beyond any one style or genre to realise her vision. The judges agreed that Raye's superb album will serve as a huge inspiration for years to come.'
Accepting the award, Raye said: 'I cannot tell you how grateful I am to be holding this. I'm shaking, I'm jetlagged, I'm tired, I'm grateful!' She alluded to her difficult years with her former label, noting: 'Albums are so important, and not to be bitter, because I feel like I'm mostly at peace with my past, but to come from a place where it's all about singles and chasing the next thing, I just feel so grateful to be recognised.'
The centrepiece of the album is the global hit 'Where Is My Husband!', which reached No 1 in the UK and No 6 in the US. Raye, born Rachel Keen in west London, started her career as a guest vocalist on pop-dance singles before breaking free from label restrictions to release her own albums. Her debut, My 21st Century Blues, won six Brit Awards, still a record for a single ceremony.
This year's Mercury Prize was not without controversy. Some observers noted that the award is becoming more commercial and less distinct from the Brit Awards: six of the 12 nominated albums reached No 1 in the UK charts, and all but two were released by or in partnership with the three major labels Universal, Warner and Sony. In previous years, independent music had been better represented, including winners such as Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal, Sampha and Ezra Collective.
Paul McCartney, nominated for the first time for his album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, sent a video message saying he was 'chuffed' and 'surprised' to be on the shortlist alongside 'such a group of really amazing artists'. Suede, who opened the ceremony with their pro-European anthem Dancing With the Europeans, failed to add a second Mercury win to their 1993 victory. Dave, who won for Psychodrama in 2019, was also nominated but did not perform.
The Mercury Prize, which lost its sponsor in 2024, moved from London to Newcastle last year and scaled up to the Utilita Arena. In 2025 the award went to local artist Sam Fender. This year's judging panel included musicians, broadcasters and journalists, with Jeff Smith as chair.