Mediacorp Theatre in Singapore became the star-studded venue for the "Eco Oscars" wherein it was hosted by Emmy Award winners Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K. Brown, along with numerous others in attendance for the Earthshot Prize ceremony on Tuesday for the real stars of the night, awardees, Acción Andina, GRST, WildAid Marine Program, S4S Technologies, and Boomitra as the 2023 Winners of The Earthshot Prize as per a report by the Straits Times.
The five awardees were selected from the 15 eligible finalists for this year's prize, and the event showcased each of the finalists' inspiring stories and efforts for the environment. The awarding ceremony also included performances by some of the most innovative musicians and entertainers in the world, such as Bastille, OneRepublic, and Bebe Rexha.
The 'Protect and Restore Nature' category winner was the 'Acción Andina' initiative, which "is a grassroots, community-based initiative working across South America to protect native high Andean forest ecosystems for their invaluable benefits to nature and millions of people in the region."
The 'Clean Our Air' category winner was the GRST initiative, which was described by the Earthshot prize website as an initiative that helps make the electric cars of the future even cleaner by creating a new way to build and recycle vital lithium-ion batteries.
The 'Revive Our Oceans' winner, on the other hand, was the WildAid Marine Program, which aims to "end illegal fishing and strengthen ocean conservation."
S4S Technologies won the coveted 'Build a Waste-Free World' award by employing solar-powered dryers and processing tools to reduce food waste, allowing small-scale farmers to preserve crops and transform them into valuable items that might otherwise be wasted.
Lastly, Boomitra won the 'Fix Our Climate' Category, which saw emissions removal through incentivisation of land restoration via a verified carbon-credit marketplace.
Each awardee was given £1 million to act as a catalyst in helping the initiatives scale ideas, increase growth, and influence. The remaining finalists were also stated to receive "tailored support from [a] global alliance of partners."
Stars on the 'Eco Oscars'
A green carpet was used to welcome the guests, and many of them donned pre-owned clothing or ensembles made of eco-friendly materials.
"I feel a great responsibility to continue my dad's legacy as he was such an active voice for change," Robert Irwin, son of the late "Crocodile Hunter" and environmentalist Steve Irwin, said in an interview with The Straits Times on the green carpet.
The Australian conservationist stated that his father aspired to preserve nature, bring people together, and instill a small appreciation for the "beautiful world we share." Adding that the event is "a really great way to create some real optimistic change for the world and help wildlife along the way."
Lana Condor, the 'To All The Boys" star, encouraged "everyone to think about how much waste they put out in the world and research ways to reduce this."
The event was opened by the well-known singles of American pop-rock group OneRepublic, including "Counting Stars" and "I Ain't Worried." Grammy Award winner Bebe Rexha delivered her famous song, I'm Good (Blue), after that.
Prince William said to guests and attendees in his speech that the winners and finalists serve as a reminder to everyone "that no matter where you are on the planet, the spirit of ingenuity and the ability to inspire change remains."
In addition, he expressed gratitude to Singapore for organizing the award event, characterizing the Republic as a location where the urban and natural worlds can cohabit.
Presenting the five prizes were Cate Blanchett, Lana Condor, Robert Irwin, Nomzamo Mbatha, and Donnie Yen. British rock-pop group Bastille brought the event to a conclusion with a moving performance of their iconic hit, Pompeii MMXXIII.
The Earthshot Prize
An initiative initially inspired by President John F. Kennedy's 1962 "Moonshot" challenge to send a man to the moon in ten years, Prince William established The Earthshot Prize in 2020 to find and fund the most creative solutions to the most significant environmental problems facing humanity.
The Earthshot Prize plans to run until 2030, selecting one awardee for each of its five categories: Protect and Restore Nature; Clean our Air; Revive our Oceans; Build a Waste-Free World; and Fix our Climate.
The event is stated to be a depiction of an optimistic future that sees "genuine pathways to an era of regeneration and abundance." Unleashing the "urgent optimism required to accelerate and scale the environmental innovations that will repair and regenerate our planet."
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