The Earthshot Prize has announced the star-studded line up for first-ever Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony hosted in London, to be filmed at Alexandra Palace and broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and globally on Discovery's Facebook page on Sunday 17th October.

Through incredible performances, stunning story-telling, and state-of-the-art technology, this one-hour ceremony will focus on turning the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism by celebrating the people and places driving change - the first-ever Earthshot Prize finalists and winners.

Created by Prince William and The Royal Foundation, The Earthshot Prize has led an unprecedented global search for the most inspiring and innovative solutions to the greatest environmental challenges facing the planet.

Five inaugural winners of The Earthshot Prize will be announced at the most sustainable awards ceremony in BBC history, which will celebrate the ingenuity of all 15 Earthshot Prize finalists and their extraordinary work to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and the threats to our oceans, air, and land.

Hosted by Clara Amfo and Dermot O’Leary, the event will be introduced by Prince William. It will also feature Sir David Attenborough, who will speak about the importance of The Earthshot Prize and his optimism in our ability to rise to the greatest environmental challenges of our time.

The ceremony will feature unforgettable performances from globally renowned artists Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, KSI and Yemi Alade, and Shawn Mendes. Coldplay’s performance, from outside the Alexandra Palace, will use energy powered by 60 cyclists.

The five winners of The Earthshot Prize will be announced by a line-up of presenters including The Duchess of Cambridge, Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, David Oyelowo and Mo Salah. Each winning solution will be awarded £1 million in Prize funding to help support and scale these ingenious innovations, with the potential to repair our planet.

Clara Amfo says: "I'm delighted to be co-hosting the inaugural Earth Shot 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. I hope this inspiring award boosts us to continue to do better by our glorious earth. The individuals being honoured are truly pioneering and will make a long lasting difference. I look forward to us all feeling energised and ready to join them in improving life for all of us."

Dermot O’Leary says: "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, CEO The Royal Foundation says: "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.

"The ceremony will cap an unprecedented two-week period of programming across radio, tv and digital that we believe is among the most innovative ever created on the environment. We are so grateful to our partners at Discovery and the BBC for their support of the Earthshot mission."

Jack Bootle, BBC Head of Commissioning, Science and Natural History, says: "I’m delighted that the BBC is broadcasting the first ever Earthshot Prize awards ceremony. With the world about to descend on Glasgow for COP26, there couldn’t be a more critical time to be celebrating the fight against climate change. The ceremony promises to be an evening of excitement, music and stardust - and the winners might just go on to change the world!"

Nancy Daniels, Chief Brand Officer, Discovery and Factual says: "As we all grapple with the continued need to help protect Planet Earth, Discovery is proud to provide a global platform to celebrate those who make it their life’s mission."

A truly global event, anchored in London, the ceremony will connect the proceedings at Alexandra Palace with the finalists and winners all over the world. The event will be a celebration of the natural world, with a stunning set designed by world-renowned set designer Peter Bingemann.

The ceremony follows the release of The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet, highlighting the innovative work of the 15 Earthshot Prize finalists as they provide solutions to help change the course of our Planet Earth’s health. The five-part series is currently available globally on discovery+, airing on Discovery Channel on October 16, and in the UK on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

The Earthshot Prize - London 2021 is made by BBC Studios Productions and will be broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer at 8pm BST, and streamed globally on Discovery's Facebook page on 17th October 2021.