Prince William’s ‘Superbowl Moment’ Will Be Bigger — and Greener! — Than Ever, Organizers Say

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince William at last year’s Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Singapore on Nov. 7, 2023.Photo:Chris Jackson/Getty

Chris Jackson/Getty

Prince Williamis preparing for his “Superbowl moment” — his annual star-studdedEarthshot PrizeAwards ceremony, which promises to be even bigger (and greener!) this year.

A vast, reusable Superdome arena will seat 2,000 people for the fourth iteration of the Prince of Wales' Earthshot Prize Awards, the centerpiece of William’s visit to South Africa, which begins Monday, Nov. 4. The green carpet at this year’s event is set to be the longest ever seen, organizers predict.

It is on that carpet in Cape Town, South Africa, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, that perhaps the biggest impact will be had: The Earthshot Prize hopes to highlight how fast fashion has brought damaging consequences to Africa, where millions of garments are buried in landfills every year.

Prince William and Earthshot Prize presenters Heidi Klum and Nina Dobrev.Samir Hussein/WireImage; David Livingston/Getty; Francois Durand/Getty

Samir Hussein/WireImage; David Livingston/Getty; Francois Durand/Getty

Fashion is one of the priority areas where The Earthshot Prize is looking for solutions to green the industry, which Jones says is responsible for 10% of all global carbon emissions and creates a huge waste footprint. It is a big issue in Ghana, where one of this year’s finalists,Green Africa Youth Organization, are working to keep waste out of landfills through innovative methods.

Prince William spreading the Earthshot message at the Earthshot Prize Innovation Camp for finalists in London in June 2024.Kin Cheung - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Kin Cheung - WPA Pool/Getty Images

“I think you will see a lot more dancing in the event than you did before,” Jones adds.

The show has a particular focus on Gen Z this year, and they will infuse “urgent optimism into the global narrative … and spark the world’s imagination with an invitation to young people to join the climate creativity movement, solving the world’s problems one creative solution at a time,” according to Jones.

Prince William walks last year’s green carpet with Hannah Waddingham in Singapore on Nov. 7, 2023.Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Earthshot

Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Earthshot

Prince William founded The Earthshot Prize two years later, in 2020.

“We are extremely excited to be hosting this event in Africa, where we will celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity from across the continent, which are contributing to efforts to protect the planet,” the spokesperson continues.

Despite having the lowest emissions, Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change. Even beyond the awards ceremony being held on the continent this year, nearly one in five of all Earthshot finalists have either been founded or operate in Africa, and one-third of this year’s finalists are from Africa.

“We search for proven solutions that, if scaled, could be transformative in their impact,” Jones says.

Nominations came from more than 149 countries, and Jones adds, “Unlike most prizes, we don’t give awards to people for what they’ve already achieved. We reward for the future potential of their inventions.”

Prince WIlliam chats with Donnie Yen, Nomzamo Mbatha and Robert Irwin at the 2023 Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Singapore.Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Earthshot

Soon after he arrives on Nov. 4, Prince William heads to his first engagement, which will see the prince meet more than 120 young leaders who have traveled from across Africa and some countries in Asia. He will have an audience with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa at his official residence on Nov. 5, and throughout his time there hopes to celebrate and spotlight African innovation and highlight young people and the next generation.

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Among other highlights of the visit, on his last day, Thursday, Nov. 7, William is to meet local fishermen in Kalk Bay Harbour and see the work of 2023 Earthshot Finalist Abalobi. Abalobi was founded in South Africa and aims to protect small-scale fishing communities and nurture their ocean stewardship while arming their customers with better information about where their seafood comes from.

source: people.com