A star-studded line-up is set to gather in South Africa later this week as the Awards take place in Cape Town.
Since its creation in 2020, the Earthshot Prize has helped fund the development of various technological solutions geared toward supporting our planet.
A total of £15m has so far been awarded to various winners, helping to support a new generation of environmentalists.
With the ceremony - which will be attended by Prince William - taking place on Wednesday, November 6, here’s everything you need to know about the awards.
What is the Earthshot Prize?
Inspired by the late US President John F. Kennedy’s “Moonshot” challenge that pioneered space travel in the 1960s, it is a global environmental prize. It aims to discover and scale the best solutions to help repair the planet in the rest of this decade.
This year’s 15 finalists have worked on projects which fit into five categories: Fix Our Climate, Protect & Restore Nature, Revive Our Oceans, Clean Our Air and Build A Waste-Free World.
They include the UK-based team behind MiAlgae, who have developed a patented fermentation process to grow Omega-3-rich algae - ending our reliance on wild fishing.
Finalists from around the world include Kenya’s Keep IT Cool, which provides sustainable refrigeration for small-scale farmers and fishers, and MYCL, an initiative using palm oil waste to create a leather alternative in Indonesia.
Those who win the Earthshot Prize almost always go on to have an even bigger environmental impact.
Notpla, a start-up run by Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez in London, that makes packaging from seaweed and plants as an alternative to single-use plastic, won in 2022. It has produced more than one million biodegradable takeaway food boxes for the food delivery firm Just Eat.
Who is hosting the ceremony?
Pose star Billy Porter is teaming up with South African TV presenter Bonang Matheba to host the Earthshot Prize Awards.
Who will be performing at the Earthshot Prize Awards?
As well as supporting the environment, the Earthshot ceremony is a star-studded event.
This year’s ceremony will feature performances from megastars including Nigerian singer-songwriter Davido, internationally-renowned artist Diamond Platnumz, and Grammy Award winner Lebo M.
How to watch the event live
Last year, 27 million people watched the Earthshot Prize on TV and online.
And this year, people around the globe will able to tune in again via YouTube.
The 2024 Earthshot Prize Awards will begin at 7.30pm local time (which is 5.30pm in the UK) on Wednesday, November 6 and they’ll be streamed on YouTube.
If you’re feeling extra keen and can’t wait to see what the famous attendees are wearing on the night, the ‘Green Carpet’ will also air on YouTube from 4pm UK time.
