Earthshot Prize Reveals 15 Environmental Finalists

Prince William announced 15 finalists for the 2026 Earthshot Prize. Five winners will each receive £1 million and mentoring support at a Nov. 17 ceremony in Mumbai presented by Karan Johar. The finalists were selected from nearly 7,000 nominations across 169 countries. Among them is Niue Ocean Wide Trust, building a $32 million endowment through Ocean Conservation Commitments for permanent Pacific protection. Coral Pasisi said Niueans do not see the ocean as separate from us; it is part of our identity, our knowledge and our responsibility to future generations. She said they wanted finance that matched the length of that responsibility rather than a promise dependent on the next grant. Other finalists include Yellowstone to Yukon and Ørsted. William said the finalists give him renewed optimism and show progress is possible even as challenges remain urgent. Contested claims: One source says the prize launched six years ago; another says a decade ago. RNZ cited winners receiving more than NZ$2.3 in a garbled figure while others state £1 million each. No other factual disputes appear in the record. Next is the Mumbai awards on Nov. 17.