A week out from the , Newcastle is transformed. The prize moving up here last year was a big deal, and you’d be greatly mistaken to think version two would be any less influential. launched at The Grove on October 15th, and the speeches, the sight of so many people coming together, set the tone. Jim Mawdsley described it as a window of opportunity shining a light on the North East; the talent is already here and needs a pipeline into real, sustainable careers. The point is bigger than finding the next Sam Fender: it’s about supporting anyone who wants a life in music outside of London.
In the run up to the main ceremony, more than thirty events across roughly thirty venues took place. At Tyneside Cinema, a music video showcase brought together , and , whose work on ‘Escapism’ and ‘Genesis’ shaped much of RAYE’s visual aesthetic. Sunday belonged to , the new name for Newcastle’s Lizzie Esau, who headlined Zerox. Fresh from launching a new era in Japan, it’s her most transformative Newcastle show yet, moving away from her indie-rock roots towards an exciting new trajectory that is already taking flight. By Monday the Fringe crossed the Tyne, with taking over the Glasshouse in Gateshead; on Tuesday ’s at The Grove was a clear sign of a major label turning its attention north. Across town, the talk at Generator’s ‘Made in the North’ panel returned to the importance of community, Northern grit and perseverance.
On Wednesday, the night before the ceremony, headlined an unofficial warm-up with a taxidermy heron from the album art sitting centre-stage. joined him for ‘Bookies Favourite’, (of Imogen & The Knife) stepped up for ‘Flight Simulator’, with Szmierek joking his new album was a shoe-in for the prize despite not being nominated. Having heard both live, it’s as good as the nominees. The same evening, closed her first headline UK tour with a sold-out homecoming at The Grove, fast becoming a community centrepoint. Two gigs of that stature on one evening conveyed the breadth and depth of artistry in Newcastle right now.
By then one question had settled over the week: Will the prize stay? After two years in Newcastle, this city would love to see the decentralisation from London continue, with the North East treated as a destination rather than a detour.
Now to the awards show itself. Thursday October 22nd, Utilita Arena. A pint will set you back £9.50, but the arena makes a fine home for the night otherwise. who won the very first Mercury back in 1993, kick things off. performs ‘I Hate The Way I Look Today’, which puts her band front and centre. arrive carrying huge hype, and each get their moment, and step up for War Child’s ‘Help(2)’ compilation.
A giant harp dominates the stage, and claims it for ‘Angel of My Dreams’, which earns by far the biggest applause of the night. turns the arena into a full rave, and close proceedings. Artists and their entourages mill around the room, and seeing most of the shortlist in the flesh, rocking the stage, makes it a hell of a show. The two absent nominees, and , appear by video message and live show recording respectively.
The winner here is impossible to call because every nominee truly has a case. A year ago ’s win never felt guaranteed, yet the Geordie pride in the building was insane and the live crowd’s enthusiasm felt weighty. Even so, Fender was a more mainstream pick than the bold, unpredictable winners of recent years, such as in 2023 and in 2024. The same current runs through the arena now. Geordie acts draw near-standing ovations, including from the table seats. For the North East, it’s a night of coming together.
Then the envelope opens and it’s RAYE, for ‘This Music May Contain Hope’. It’s her second Mercury nomination, and the album has already reached number one. She looks stunned, and thoroughly grateful. RAYE’s label history is well documented; she refers to it in her speech, without bitterness, while explaining why albums matter to her, and why this award means so much.
“I’ve always banged on about how much I believe in albums, you know, albums are so important and coming from a place – not to be bitter because I feel like I’m mostly at peace with my past, you know, 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.” Later she adds, simply, “Music is medicine.”
Her path to this first chapter is that of an artist finally painting a full canvas, free of restrictions. In January 2023 she was the opening support act for at this same arena, and she now has a coveted Mercury, a measure of how far she has come. The record sounds dramatic and creatively expressed, and comparisons to Amy Winehouse are easy to reach for on a song like ‘I Will Overcome’. ‘Where Is My Husband!’ is surely one of the tracks of the year, but much of the album is jazzier, like tonight’s ‘I Hate The Way I Look Today’, which she plays again after the win – this time as the winner. A large band lets her swing between gentle and frantic, and she clearly loves what she’s doing. It’s a surprise pick, but not a reckless one in a field this strong.
In 2024, RAYE won a record six BRIT Awards. The Mercury is a different proposition. The BRITs and the Grammys fan out into dozens of categories, and trophies can land by the handful. The Mercury is singular: one prize, one album, chosen by a panel of judges with nothing to dilute it. For an artist who spent so long being told to chase singles, that matters. In a week spent arguing that music in the North East deserves a pipeline, a platform and a long view, the tally says it plainly: 7 Brit Awards, only 1 Mercury.