FHHRN
Prince William wrapped up the Earthshot Prize ceremony in Rio de Janeiro with an inspiring moment that saw him welcome a group of Brazilian teens to the stage — and received a surprise assist from Hollywood star Tom Cruise.
In a pre-recorded video message, the Mission: Impossible actor congratulated the finalists, saying: “Thank you all for all the work you do. Congratulations. Enjoy your evening.” Cruise also praised the event for “reminding us what’s possible when commitment meets purpose.”
The star-studded ceremony featured performances by Shawn Mendes and Kylie Minogue, and culminated with Prince William delivering a powerful closing speech alongside four young environmental champions. Opening with a warm Portuguese greeting — “Boa noite e bem-vindos!” — the Prince applauded the 15 shortlisted finalists, calling them the “world’s true action heroes” for their groundbreaking efforts to tackle the planet’s environmental challenges.
“When we founded the Earthshot Prize in 2020, we had a 10-year goal, to make this the decade in which we transformed our world for the better,” he said. “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’ve felt here tonight, from these innovators. Their work is the proof we need that progress is possible,” he continued.
He acknowledged that it can be difficult to stay hopeful in such “uncertain times,” but encouraged people not to lose faith. “The optimism I felt in 2020 remains ardent today,” William said.
READ MORE: Prince William Told to ‘Think Again’ After Bold Request to King Charles Sparks Tension
Then, with the future belonging to young people, William was joined on stage by four Brazilian teens — Hevellin dos Santos, 15, Julia Ferreira, 15, Miguel dos Santos, 12, and Vicente Fontoura, 14. The group recited, in Portuguese, their hopeful visions for the planet: a world powered by clean energy, where the climate is stable; where clean air and oceans are bursting with life; where nothing is wasted and forests stretch endlessly. They ended with a shared vow to spread “hope and optimism everywhere.”
William’s remarks followed the announcement of this year’s five Earthshot Prize winners, each receiving $1.3 million to expand their groundbreaking environmental projects across the globe.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who serves as a trustee on the Earthshot Prize board, told PEOPLE that Prince William remains deeply focused on helping winners and finalists expand their ideas five years into the initiative.
“It’s been, ‘How do we do more? How do we scale? How do we better support the finalists?’ That mission hasn’t changed — just the urgency of why it exists has,” she explained.
Rio de Janeiro’s Mayor Eduardo Paes, who has spent much of the past few days with William, also spoke warmly about the Prince. “He’s an amazing guy. It’s been very nice to see. He took everyone’s heart in Rio, and we’re very proud to have him here. I told him he could have Earthshot Prize every year in Rio — it would be amazing. We are very proud to host him here,” Paes said.
He added that the discussions sparked by William’s visit are “so important at a moment when Brazil is playing a key role in this issue.”
Prince William’s final day in Brazil began with a visit to the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, where he brought along the Earthshot Prize finalists to discuss their hopes and visions for their individual projects.
The visit marked the culmination of a packed few days in Rio, during which the Prince of Wales joined a beach volleyball game to promote a social enterprise run by Olympic athlete Carolina Solberg, played football with local children to promote climate awareness through sport, and met with Indigenous leaders restoring the mangrove ecosystems that connect Brazil’s forests and seas.
The engagements showcased William’s continued commitment to spotlighting community-led environmental efforts and inspiring global cooperation to protect the planet.
