Prince William Names 15 Finalists for 2026 Earthshot Prize Ahead of Mumbai Ceremony
William, Prince of Wales, has named 15 finalists for the 2026 Earthshot Prize, his annual award for environmental solutions. The shortlist was published Sept. 18. Five winners will be picked from that group.
Those five winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony in Mumbai in November, Town & Country reported. Indian filmmaker Karan Johar will present the show.
Mumbai was selected as the host city during the inaugural Mumbai Climate Week, according to the Earthshot Prize. Past host cities include Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Singapore, Boston and London. The Boston edition gives American viewers a reference point for how the event travels.
Prince William serves as founder and president of the prize, per the Earthshot Prize. The prize is organized around five categories, with three finalists in each. Five will win.
In Protect and Restore Nature, which covers work to safeguard wild places and species, the finalists are Yellowstone to Yukon, the Indigenous Desert Alliance and the Kingdom of Bhutan. Yellowstone to Yukon is a North American conservation effort familiar to many U.S. readers.
In Fix our Climate, which covers work to slow and adapt to climate change, the finalists are Mahila Housing Trust, Pula and Ørsted. The three come from different sectors and regions.
In Build a Waste-Free World, which covers work to cut waste and pollution, the finalists are PFAS-Free France, the Korea Zero Waste Movement Network and the Mother Earth Foundation. The category name refers to so-called forever chemicals, industrial waste and community waste systems.
In Revive our Oceans, which covers work to protect seas and marine life, the finalists are ZEMBA, short for the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance, the Niue Ocean Wide Trust and the city of Barcelona. Niue is a small island nation in the Pacific, while Barcelona is entered as a city government.
In Clean our Air, which covers work to cut air pollution and cleaner transport, the finalists are AirQo, Satellites on Fire and Mahindra Last Mile Mobility. The last of the three is an Indian maker of small electric commercial vehicles.
What makes this stand out is the spread. The list places a Himalayan kingdom alongside a Pacific island trust, a Spanish city, African air-monitoring work and American landscape conservation. The winners will be named in Mumbai in November.
