The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the first ever Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony at Alexandra Palace in London on Sunday 17th October, which celebrated the ingenuity of all 15 Earthshot Prize Finalists and their extraordinary work to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and the threats to our oceans, air, and land.
Created by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, The Earthshot Prize has led an unprecedented global search for the most inspiring and innovative solutions to the greatest environmental challenges facing the planet. A truly global event, anchored in London and connecting with Finalists and Winners all over the world, The Prize Ceremony showcased the incredible global community working to repair our planet.
Hosted by Clara Amfo and Dermot O’Leary, the evening’s event was introduced by Prince William. The ceremony also featured Sir David Attenborough a line-up of presenters including The Duchess of Cambridge, Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, David Oyelowo and Mo Salah to award each of the prizes.
Globally renowned artists Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, KSI and Yemi Alade, and Shawn Mendes all performed as part of the ceremony. Coldplay’s performance, from outside of Alexandra Palace, was powered by the energy of 60 cyclists around the stage.
During the ceremony, in a short film recorded in the London Eye, Prince William said:
“We are alive in the most consequential time in human history… The actions we choose or choose not to take in the next ten years will determine the fate of the planet for the next thousand.
“A decade doesn’t seem long, but humankind has an outstanding record of being able to solve the unsolvable.
“Many of the answers are already out there… but we need everyone – from all parts of society - to raise their ambition and unite in repairing our planet.
“The future is ours to determine. And if we set our minds to it, nothing is impossible.”
The aim of the Earthshot Prize is to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism by celebrating the people and places driving change – the first-ever Earthshot Prize Finalists and Winners. Each winning solution received £1million in Prize funding to help support and scale these ingenious innovations, with the potential to repair our planet.
Each year for the rest of this decade, another five winners will be chosen and their solutions supported to scale up and have a real impact on our world.
