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In a surprising collaboration between Bollywood and the British Royal Family, Indian filmmaker Karan Johar and Prince William sat together for a special cause.
On Friday, September 18, it was revealed that the filmmaker will host William's Earthshot Prize 2026 awards set to take place in Mumbai, India, on November 17.
The exciting announcement was made as the 15 finalists for the sixth annual awards were unveiled, out of which five will win £1 million for their work.
Karan Johar hails Prince William's efforts for climate change
Johar, who is the current host of The Traitors India, told PEOPLE that it was a "privilege" to work so closely with the Earthshot Prize and William, describing his passion for the cause as "infectious".
"I think Prince William is a huge contributor to [the discussion] of climate change. Someone of his stature, someone of his power in the world, for him to take on a cause, relentlessly and effortlessly and with so much passion, really makes all the difference," Johar shared with the outlet.
The Earthshot Prize, established by Prince William in 2020, selects 15 finalists each year for a celebration at an awards ceremony, where five winners each receive a £1 million ($1.33 million) prize to help with their work.
Talking to the BBC amid the reveal of the finalists, William called for urgent steps to solve the biggest climate challenges.
"We're not moving fast enough," William said. "We need more businesses, investors and leaders to step up, back what works and help bring these solutions to scale."
The finalists were selected from nearly 7,000 nominations submitted across 169 countries.
Five winners, one from each of the five Earthshot categories, protect and restore nature, revive our oceans, clean our air, build a waste-free world and fix our climate, will be announced at the ceremony in November.
