RAYE Named Variety's 2026 Hitmaker of the Year — a First for Independents

By Daniel Okafor

Variety has named RAYE its 2026 Hitmaker of the Year. She's the first independent artist to receive the accolade, and the magazine will hand it over at the 10th annual Hitmakers event in Los Angeles on December 5.

That's not a consolation prize. Since 2014, the South London singer, songwriter and producer has charted 21 Top 40 U.K. singles and passed 10 billion cumulative streams. In 2024 she won six BRIT Awards in a single year, including Album of the Year — the most any artist has ever taken home in one ceremony, without a major label behind her.

"We've been fans of RAYE's sound, songwriting and stellar live performances for years," said Variety's Executive Editor, Music, Jem Aswad. "This honor recognizes not just her world-class artistry, but also her fierce and outspoken advocacy for songwriters and independent artists. We are thrilled to honor her as Hitmaker of the Year for 2026 — and the first independent artist to receive the accolade."

Who else is being honored?

The December 5 lineup goes beyond one trophy:

• Olivia Rodrigo — Songwriter of the Year
• Katseye — Group of the Year
• Sienna Spiro — Visionary Voice

Variety says more names will follow in the coming weeks. TikTok is a Premier Partner of the event.

What does the résumé actually say?

RAYE's numbers do the arguing. In January 2023, "Escapism" hit No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart and climbed to No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Prada" peaked at No. 2 in the U.K. and held No. 1 on the U.K. Dance Singles Chart for 31 weeks, while topping charts in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria and Belgium.

The trophy shelf is similarly crowded: an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year, Best U.K. & I.E. Artist at the MTV EMAs, the Ivors Academy's Songwriter Advocate Award, and Variety's own Triple Threat Award, which credits her advocacy for songwriters as much as her music. There are also nominations from the BET Awards and the MTV VMAs.

A Mercury Prize with a 30-year asterisk

This past March she released her sophomore album, "THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE." In October it won the 2026 Mercury Prize — the first pop album to take the award since 1994. Think about that gap for a second: three decades without a pop winner, broken by an independent artist.

The Recording Academy has kept pace. RAYE holds multiple Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year. In 2026 the Academy gave her the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change CEO Merit Award for "Ice Cream Man," a song that amplifies the voices of sexual assault survivors. She also earned a nomination at the 68th Grammy Awards for the music film "Live At The Royal Albert Hall."

Whose footsteps?

Previous Hitmakers of the Year include Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, Elton John and Dua Lipa. RAYE now joins that roster as its first independent entry — a fact Aswad's statement underlines twice, presumably because it matters twice.

The December 5 ceremony, with further honorees still to be announced, will test whether an artist who built her case outside the label system can headline an industry party on her own terms. On the evidence, don't bet against her.