Karan Johar Named Host for Earthshot Prize 2026 in Mumbai, Hailing Prince William’s ‘Infectious Passion’ for the Planet
Celebrated Indian filmmaker and producer Karan Johar will host the 2026 Earthshot Prize ceremony in Mumbai on November 17, anchoring a historic homecoming to the metropolis Prince William and Princess Kate visited together a decade ago. Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Johar expressed deep admiration for the Prince of Wales’s steadfast climate leadership, declaring that the international community urgently needs “many more Prince Williams” willing to leverage global influence for concrete planetary solutions.
Describing his close collaboration with the heir to the British throne as an absolute privilege, Johar characterized William’s environmental dedication as truly infectious. The director noted that while many global elites offer mere lip service to ecological crises, William actively champions scalable innovations every day of his life. The pair bonded in London over shared concerns regarding extreme summer heat waves across Europe and South Asia, as well as a lighthearted backstage exchange about British rapper Central Cee, whom Johar’s 9-year-old son hoped to meet through his father’s royal appointment.
Established by Prince William in 2020, the Earthshot Prize annually selects fifteen global finalists, awarding five groundbreaking solutions £1 million ($1.33 million) each to accelerate environmental repair. The 2026 cohort features cutting-edge initiatives including Argentina’s AI wildfire detection platform Satellites on Fire, the US-Canada transboundary corridor Yellowstone to Yukon, the carbon-negative nation of Bhutan, and India’s Mahila Housing Trust for urban heat resilience.
Emphasizing India’s crucial frontline role in ecological restoration, Earthshot CEO Jason Knauf confirmed that the Mumbai gala will stand as an unforgettable celebration of human ingenuity, turning localized solutions into transformative global change.