Raye becomes Variety's first independent Hitmaker of the Year

Raye has been named Variety's 2026 Hitmaker of the Year, the first independent artist to get the honor, and she will be celebrated at the Hitmakers event in Los Angeles on Dec. 5. Her album This Music May Contain Hope won the 2026 Mercury Prize, and her catalog has passed 10 billion streams. Her run shows indie artists that owning your work and speaking up for songwriters can sit right alongside major-label-level success.