Brazilian and foreign celebrities joined Britain's Prince William for the Earthshot Prize awards in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday, the centerpiece of William's three-day environment-focused trip to the Brazilian megalopolis before the heir to the British throne heads to the United Nations Climate Summit COP30.

The ceremony began with the sound of samba and featured musical performances from Anitta, Gilberto Gil, Shawn Mendes, Kylie Minogue and Seu Jorge.

Applause and shouts rang across the auditorium in the Museum of Tomorrow in downtown Rio as the winners were announced.

Winners included Brazilian startup re.green, which restores forests with the help of artificial intelligence, and Bangladeshi non-profit organization Friendship, which assists vulnerable communities across the country prepare for natural disasters.

Other winners included Colombia's capital, Bogota, for its clean air policies; Lagos Fashion Week, which promotes sustainable, craft-based clothing-makers to counter the wave of fast-fashion rejects that literally wash up on African shores; and the United Nations High Seas Treaty, which seeks to protect marine environments outside of national jurisdictions.