David Attenborough, Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes among famous faces attending Prince William’s Earthshot Prize ceremony
A slew of celebrities, including Sir David Attenborough, Ed Sheeran and Mo Salah, are set to make appearances in an awards ceremony for the the Duke of Cambridge’s Earthshot Prize.
Prince William, who launched his ambitious environmental prize to find solutions to the planet’s problems and overcome the pessimism felt by many, will introduce the ceremony, while the Duchess of Cambridge will present an award.
The ceremony on 17 October will see the announcement of the Earthshot Prize winners alongside performances from artists including Sheeran, Coldplay, KSI and Yemi Alade, and Shawn Mendes.
The winners in the five categories will each receive £1 million to develop their projects after being picked by a judging panel.
A line-up of presenters including Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, David Oyelowo and Mo Salah will hand out the awards, while the event will be hosted by Clara Amfo and Dermot O’Leary.
Sir David Attenborough will also speak about the importance of the Earthshot Prize and his optimism in tackling environmental challenges.
The event will be filmed at Alexandra Palace in London and be broadcast on BBC One and globally on Discovery’s Facebook page.
Amfo said: “I’m delighted to be co-hosting the inaugural Earthshot Prize ceremony.
“We’re at a critical time in our planet’s history - our habits are changing slowly but surely, however we can always learn and - most importantly - do more.”
O’Leary said: “I am incredibly excited to be hosting the inaugural Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
“I have been so inspired by the 15 finalists and the ground-breaking work that they have all been doing.
“Their innovation encourages hope for future generations and our planet. It is wonderful to be a part of such a major push for change.”
Jason Knauf, chief executive of the Royal Foundation, said: “The Earthshot Prize has been designed to celebrate our finalists as the visionary leaders that they are.
“The blockbuster roster of artists, athletes and presenters that have signed on for our inaugural awards show proves just how much excitement there is for optimistic action to rise to the great challenges of our time.
“This will be an award show unlike any you’ve seen before that will entertain you and inspire you to take action to repair the planet in this decisive decade.”
In a new five-part BBC documentary released in the run up the ceremony, William speaks about the importance of people playing their part to tackle the climate crisis.
“It will take every one of us, as individuals, as schools, as communities, as businesses, and as leaders to do our bit,” says the duke in the final episode of the miniseries.
“To change our choices and our habits, to set and achieve our own personal Earthshots, we can change the world again.
“Today everyone of us may, unintentionally, be part of the problem but from today, working together, we can all become part of the solution.”
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