Prince William revealed that plans for his first-ever Earthshot Prize are moving full speed ahead with recipients of the award getting the chance to showcase their hard work at a high-profile event this fall.
The ceremony is meant to showcase the work of the prize’s inaugural winners who are all coming up with solutions to the biggest issues facing the planet. Organizers revealed that the October 17 event held at Alexandra Palace in London will include, “show-stopping performances as well as never-before-seen musical collaborations.” The Duke of Cambridge’s office wouldn’t confirm whether or not his wife, Kate Middleton, will join him that evening or who exactly is set to perform just yet. However, Shakira, Cate Blanchett, Yao Ming and David Attenborough have all joined William on the council for the event, guaranteeing it will be a star-studded evening regardless of the musical guests.
In January 2020, the royal announced the launch of the Earthshot Prize, a Royal Foundation initiative that will award five environmental activists £1 million each for the next ten years. Kensington Palace explained that its goal is to create “the most prestigious global environment prize in history” on the same level as the Nobel Peace Prize. The first five finalists for the award will be announced in July.
The ceremony will also take place one month before the UK hosts world leaders for the UN Climate Change Conference. William revealed that the timing of the event is very intentional, explaining in a statement, “By hosting COP26 conference in Glasgow just weeks after our inaugural awards, the U.K. is helping lead th e world in tackling climate change. London is a fantastic location to showcase this leadership, spotlight the finalists and award our very first Earthshot Prize winners. The awards ceremony will be a truly global event, connecting people from all over the world to celebrate these inspiring leaders and their innovations to solve the world’s greatest environmental challenges.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also said of the event, “The Earthshot Prize: London 2021 is an unprecedented opportunity to inspire all Londoners and people around the world to be part of this global effort to repair our planet. I am thrilled that our city will be the inaugural host to award the first Earthshot Prizes for these ground-breaking solutions that can help improve all of our lives.”
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