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Variety has announced that artist, songwriter and producer RAYE is the 2026 Hitmaker of the Year and will be honored at the 10th annual Hitmakers event in Los Angeles on December 5.
Other honorees include Olivia Rodrigo
(Songwriter of the Year), Katseye (Group of the Year), and Sienna Spiro (Visionary Voice), with many more to be announced in the coming weeks. TikTok is a Premier Partner of the event.
Since 2014, RAYE has charted 21 Top 40 U.K. singles and surpassed 10 billion cumulative streams. In 2024, the South London artist made history by winning six BRIT Awards, including Album of the Year — the most BRIT Awards won by an artist in a single year, a remarkable feat for an independent artist. Her other accolades include an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year, Best U.K. & I.E. Artist at the MTV EMAs, and the Ivors Academy’s Songwriter Advocate Award. She has also receivedVariety’s Triple Threat Award — recognizing not just her music but her outspoken advocacy for songwriters — and nominations from the BET Awards and MTV VMAs.
RAYE’s earlier work laid the groundwork for that momentum. In 2023 her song “Escapism” peaked at No. 1 on the UK singles Chart in January and peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her success continued with her other song “Prada,” which peaked at No. 2 on the U.K. Singles Chart and held the No. 1 spot on the U.K. Dance Singles Chart for 31 weeks, while also reaching No.1 in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, and Belgium.
She released her sophomore album, “THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.,”this past March, and it won the 2026 Mercury Prize in October, making it the first pop album to win the award since 1994. She has been nominated for multiple Grammys, including Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year. Also in 2026, RAYE was honored by the Recording Academy with the Harry Belafonte Best Song for Social Change CEO Merit Award for “Ice Cream Man,” which amplifies the voices of sexual assault survivors. She was also nominated at the 68th Grammy Awards for the music film “Live At The Royal Albert Hall.”
“We’ve been fans of RAYE’s sound, songwriting and stellar live performances for years,” said 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.”
Previous Variety Hitmakers of the Year includeSabrina Carpenter,Charli xcx,SZA,Kendrick Lamar,Billie Eilish,Harry Styles,Jack Harlow,Elton John and Dua Lipa.
