The Earthshot Prize
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is proud to be an official nominator for The Earthshot Prize 2027
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington is proud to be the only university that’s an official nominator for The Earthshot Prize in New Zealand, helping to find and grow the solutions that will repair our planet this decade and beyond.
Every year in the 2020s, The Earthshot Prize Trust, led by Prince William, will award £1 million ($1.9 million) each to five environmental solutions. The global search identifies the most ambitious and inspiring solutions to the planet’s greatest environmental challenges across five goals or ‘Earthshots’: ‘Protect and Restore Nature’, ‘Clean our Air’, ‘Revive our Oceans’, ‘Build a Waste-Free World,’ and ‘Fix our Climate’.
One of our nominees—Sea Forest—was a finalist for the 2023 Earthshot Prize, which was recognition of their hard work and the amazing solution the Sea Forest team have developed. Sea Forest co-founder Sam Elsom says, “Earthshot is far more than a prize, but rather a support team to assist us in scaling our solution. It’s been a very worthwhile process.”
Criteria
Our review panel has the tough job of selecting which applications best responded to The Earthshot Prize’s criteria. We assess applications across five criteria:
- Relevance - Is the solution addressing a challenge that is vital to achieving an Earthshot?
- Systemic Change – does the solution create a permanent shift in how a system operates, where old patterns of harm are replaced by structures that enable environmental progress?
- Positive Tipping Point – is the solution approaching the point where it is affordable, accessible and effective enough that the system is beginning to change? Will the solution have a major impact within a decade?
- Leadership – Does the solution have an experienced and dedicated team / founder with a clear track record of success and inclusive leadership?
- Overall – Does the solution have the wow factor? Is it innovative and inspiring?
Applications
We are currently accepting applications from potential nominees. If you have an outstanding project or initiative that you think is worthy of being nominated for an Earthshot Prize please provide us with some details about your project through this online form. It should take 30–45 minutes to complete. Applications are due by 5pm, 21 October 2026.
If you wish to prepare your answers in advance use this question sheet.
Timeline for Earthshot Prize 2027
- 21 October 2026: Deadline for applications from potential nominees
- 16 November 2026: Applicants are notified of outcome successful nominees are given access to the Earthshot Nomination Portal and suggestions for strengthening the nomination
- 10 December 2026: Deadline for nominees to complete nomination in the Portal
- February 2027: Promotion of all nominees put forward by the University
- Mid 2027: Finalists announced
- Late 2027: Winners announced at the awards ceremony
Winners and finalists
Previous winners and finalists provide a sense of the type and range of solutions that The Earthshot Prize Council is looking for. It is highly competitive, but for a fantastic reward—the prize money, the exposure, and the support to scale the solution
Our nominees for the Earthshot Prize 2026
Victoria University’s New Zealand nominees for The Earthshot Prize 2026 were:
AgriZeroNZ: This public-private partnership invests to accelerate the development and deployment of tools for farmers to reduce agricultural emissions while staying profitable and productive.
Critical: A Māori-led clean-tech company transforming hard-to-recycle plastic waste into high-performance, near carbon-neutral circular building materials called Cleanstone
KiwiEconet: A breakthrough in sustainable farming with the Southland invention of 100 percent natural and organic jute fibre netting, designed to replace conventional plastic wrap for baling hay and silage.
Mountains to Sea Wellington Trust: The Love Rimurimu project, led by the Mountains to Sea Wellington Trust, is restoring declining kelp forests in Wellington Harbour through science, community action, and Indigenous partnership
Mushroom Material: A fully biodegradable, mushroom-based alternative to the polystyrene on which the packaging industry is reliant.
Sea Cleaners Trust: A marine litter interception programme operating a fleet of purpose-built vessels that remove plastic pollution from freshwater and marine environments before it fragments and disperses beyond recovery.
Clockwise from top left: AgriZero, Critical., Mountains to Sea Wellington Trust (photo credit Mountains to Sea Wellington Trust/Kristine Zipfel), Sea Cleaners Trust, Mushroom Material, KiwiEconet