“One word. Magic. I think you are going to experience what it feels like to live in a magical environment for an hour,” says Hannah Jones, Earthshot Prize CEO.
That’s how Jones describes Friday’s awards ceremony at the MGM Music Hall. Inspired by President Kennedy’s ‘Moonshot’ Challenge, Prince William founded the Earthshot Prize Awards in 2020. It recognizes the contributions made by people from all over the world to help our planet.
“You don’t have to be some amazing inventor, you just have to obsess how you are going to fix a problem,” says Jones.
Five winners will be awarded in five different categories: Fix our climate, build a waste-free world, revive our oceans, clean our air, and protect & restore nature.
“When we decided to come out and make this an international or global prize, it was really obvious where the first stop had to be particularly as it is a key anniversary this year around the ‘Moonshot’ and so Boston was the obvious choice,” says Jones.
“It was a total surprise. The first phone call you are like ‘who?’ ‘really?’ It’s hard to grasp that it is sort of real,” says Molly Baldwin, Roca Founder.
Before the Royal Couple attends the ceremony, they will visit Baldwin’s non-profit organization called Roca - Spanish for rock.
“Obviously them coming here sort of elevates our presence in a way probably that no one else in the world can so that is enormous,” says Baldwin.
The center, which is based in Chelsea, works with young people and police to combat incarceration, poverty, and racism. Baldwin says the organization aligns with some of the Royal Couple’s interests around mental health.
“We are really excited to tell them about the young people that we have the privilege of knowing. I’m hopeful they will like some of our things and want to share them,” says Baldwin.
The Earthshot Prize CEO says she wants the takeaway from the ceremony to be that repairing the planet is actually possible just like President Kennedy’s goal of putting a man on the moon.
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