Prince William announces next city to host Earthshot Prize in new video

Prince William has confirmed the next location of his major environmental initiative, the Earthshot Prize.

After making its debut in 2021 in London's Alexandra Palace, this year the event will be hosted in Boston, USA in early December.

The announcement was made on Wednesday, which happens to be the anniversary of the moon landing. US President John F Kennedy's Moonshot initiative was the inspiration behind the Duke of Cambridge's Earthshot Prize.

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John and Jackie Kennedy's daughter, US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, praised the move for Prince William's global awards ceremony.

"There is no more important Moonshot today than repairing the planet and no better place to harness the Moonshot spirit than the City of Boston," she said in a statement from The Royal Foundation.

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"It is a great tribute to President Kennedy that The Earthshot Prize will partner with the JFK Library Foundation to host the 2022 ceremony in Boston and inspire a new generation with the possibility of a sustainable future."

Mayor Michelle Wu said the City of Boston was "honoured and excited" to be selected for the second annual ceremony.

"In Boston, we're not just aiming to improve Boston's ability to tackle climate change — we're setting an example for how imaginative, community-driven climate leadership can reshape what's possible," she said.

"This is an opportunity to shine a global spotlight on our efforts to combat climate change and demonstrate that, together, we can meet the urgency this moment demands with innovative solutions that protect our planet and future generations.

Wu said the spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship and service lived on in Boston, 60 years after the Moonshot initiative's launch.

"On 12 September, 1962, in a landmark speech at Rice University, President Kennedy issued a soaring challenge to the country: to land a man on the Moon within a decade and bring them safely back to Earth.

"In July 1969, the Apollo 11 mission successfully landed the first two human beings on the Moon."

The global shortlist will be whittled down to 15 finalists and on the night, five winning ideas to help the environment and the impacts of climate change will receive £1 million ($1.74 million) each.

Prince William's plan is to run the event annually until 2030, giving out a total of £50 million ($87 million) over the next decade in the hopes of inspiring change "before it's too late".

Last year, the star-studded event featured the likes of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, as well as actresses Emma Watson and Emma Thompson on-stage, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

While Australian actress Cate Blanchett serves as a Member of The Earthshot Prize Council, alongside Queen Rania of Jordan and singer Shakira.