Billie Eilish will lead the lineup for the Prince of Wales’s Earthshot Award ceremony.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will fly to the United States this week for a three-day trip culminating on Friday with the staging of the awards he founded to discover and scale up environmental solutions to fix the planet.
Eilish, who is outspoken about climate change, will headline the entertainment at the ceremony in the city of Boston, which also includes Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Beyonce’s protégés Chloe x Halle.
A royal source said: “The award has become the prince’s Superbowl moment of the year, and he looks forward to continuing to use the platform each year to shine a light on some of the most impactful projects doing amazing things in around the world to save our planet’s future”.
Among the 15 finalists vying for the £1 million prize awarded to each of the five category winners of the Earthshot Award they are an initiative for cleaner burning stoves in Kenya and a bubble barrier made in the Netherlands to stop plastic from entering the oceans.
There are also finalists from the UK for the first timewith two selected UK entries.
Notpla Hard Material, a start-up run by Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez in London, makes packaging from seaweed and plants as an alternative to single-use plastic.
It has already produced more than a million biodegradable take-out food boxes for Just Eat.
Low Carbon Materials, based in County Durham, uses non-recyclable plastic waste to make traditional concrete blocks carbon neutral.
The royal source said, “Inclusivity is a key part of Earthshot’s mission. This year’s nominees come from all corners of the planet, truly showcasing the best in human ingenuity. From Indigenous leadership in Australia to guided solutions by women in Kenya, different stories and solutions are the focus of the award.
“Inclusivity will also be a key part of the larger trip: During our stay in Boston, the Prince and Princess will meet with Indigenous leaders of Boston.”
William spoke about the Earthshot Prize project with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa this week. photo: AP
Broadcaster Sir David Attenborough will narrate the show’s opening while Academy Award-winning actress and Earthshot juror Cate Blanchett will voice last year’s winners.
Actor Rami Malek, who played singer Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, will present an award at the MGM Music Hall, as will actress Catherine O’Hara, Home Alone, and environmental activist and activist Shailene Woodley .
Malek said, “The 15 finalists for this year’s Earthshot Prize are deeply inspiring. They are dedicating their lives to building solutions that will fix our planet, and I can’t wait to present an award to one of the incredible winners for 2022″.
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Lennox said: “The urgent need to protect and restore our Earth’s damaged environmental systems is essential for future survival. The Earthshot Prize’s goal is powerful in terms of building a waste-free world and revitalizing our oceans. lend my voice in support of this ambitious mission”.
