Raye Wins Mercury Prize, Beats McCartney, Suede, Thirlwall...

The 28-year-old British artist Raye took home the Mercury Prize on October 22, winning £25,000 for her second album *This Music May Contain Hope*, a 73-minute cinematic pop record that pulls from golden-age Hollywood, big-band arrangements, and orchestral production. The win marks the first time a pop album has claimed the prize since M People's *Elegant Slumming* in 1994, beating competitors including Paul McCartney and Olivia Dean. Raye's maximalist approach—featuring her grandparents, soul legend Al Green, four separate orchestras, and over 100 musicians—paid off after the album debuted at the top of the UK charts in March following a year-long delay caused by a stolen car that contained her original demos and notebooks.