The first-ever Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony will be a star-studded affair. Prince William will be joined by his wife the Duchess of Cambridge at the event on Sunday, Oct. 17, in London along with a slew of famous faces. The inaugural ceremony, hosted by Clara Amfo and Dermot O’Leary, will feature performances by Ed Sheeran, KSI and Yemi Alade, Shawn Mendes and Coldplay, while the five Earthshot Prize winners will be announced by the Duchess of Cambridge, Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, David Oyelowo and Mo Salah. Sir David Attenborough will also speak at the ceremony.
Jason Knauf, CEO 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.”
He added, “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.”
The upcoming event is described as “the most sustainable awards ceremony in BBC history.” Coldplay’s performance outside of London’s Alexandra Palace will use energy powered by 60 cyclists. “Through incredible performances, stunning story-telling, and state-of-the-art technology, this one-hour ceremony will focus on turning the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism by celebrating the people and places driving change – the first-ever Earthshot Prize Finalists and Winners,” the foundation said.
The ceremony “will celebrate 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.”
The Earthshot Prize, created by Prince William and the Royal Foundation, was designed to incentivize change and help repair the planet over the next ten years. The first awards ceremony will air on BBC One and iPlayer at 8 p.m. BST on Oct. 17 and will also be streamed globally on Discovery’s Facebook page.