Singers, actors and athletes to attend William’s Earthshot Prize ceremony

Sir David Attenborough Ed Sheeran and Mo Salah are among the famous faces set to be involved in an awards ceremony for the the Duke of Cambridge’s Earthshot Prize.

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 October 17 will see performances from a 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.”