Five winners of The Earthshot Prize were named at a prestigious ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday – each of them receiving £1 million to advance their cause and build out their purposeful propositions.
The winner for the Build a Waste-Free World category was Lagos Fashion Week, described as “Africa’s most influential fashion event”.
It was commended for “redefining the industry across the continent through a distinctly African lens”.
Each designer who wants to show at Lagos Fashion Week is required to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practice, including proving how materials are sourced and dyed and how garments are produced and transported.
In its statement announcing the winners, The Earthshot Prize said: “By holding brands accountable to these standards during the most important week of the fashion year, they have shaped how brands behave year-round.
“By 2030, Lagos aims to have replicated its model across five fashion weeks. Winning The Earthshot Prize will support Lagos Fashion Week to achieve those replication plans in Kigali, Dakar and Accra.”
Brazil’s most decorated Olympic star Rebeca Andrade and indigenous environmental activist Txai Suruí announced the £1 million prize winners at the awards at Rio’s Museum of Tomorrow venue. Broadcaster Luciano Huck hosted the event, which featured performances from Brazilian pop star Anitta and global star Kylie Minogue.
Winners were selected from nearly 2,500 nominations, across 72 countries. The winners, one in each of the five Earthshot categories, are listed below:
- Protect and Restore Nature: re.green, Brazil
- Clean Our Air: The City of Bogotá, Colombia
- Revive Our Oceans: The High Seas Treaty, Global
- Build a Waste-Free World: Lagos Fashion Week, Nigeria
- Fix Our Climate: Friendship, Bangladesh
HRH Prince William, founder & president of The Earthshot Prize, said: “When I founded The Earthshot Prize in 2020, we had a ten-year goal; to make this the decade in which we transformed our world for the better.”
“We set out to tackle environmental issues head on and make real, lasting changes that would protect life on Earth. It was a mission driven by the kind of extraordinary optimism we have felt here tonight, from these innovators.”
He added: “Their work is the proof we need that progress is possible. Their stories are the inspiration that gives us courage. And there’s a great deal we can learn from their determination, their vision for scale, and their unyielding belief that we can create a better world.”
[image credit: The Earthshot Prize]
