Billie Eilish to headline Prince William’s Earthshot Prize ceremony in Boston

Singer Billie Eilish will lead entertainment at Prince William's Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.

The Prince and Princess of Wales fly to America this week for a three-day trip culminating on Friday with the environmental solutions awards in Boston.

Prince William founded the awards to discover and scale up potential ways to repair the planet.

'Bad Guy' singer Eilish will headline the entertainment, which includes Annie Lennox, Ellie Goulding and Beyonce proteges Chloe x Halle, performing at the MGM Music Hall in Boston.

The Earthshot Prize is in its second year and William spoke about the project with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this week during his state visit to the UK.

Among the 15 finalists vying for £1 million awarded to each of the five category winners are a cleaner-burning stove initiative in Kenya and a bubble barrier made in the Netherlands to prevent plastics entering oceans.

There are also finalists from the UK for the first time, with two British-based entries being selected.

Notpla Hard Material – a start-up run by Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez in London – makes packaging from seaweed and plants as an alternative to single-use plastic, and has already produced more than one million biodegradable takeaway food boxes for the firm Just Eat.

The other UK finalist – Low Carbon Materials, based in County Durham – uses unrecyclable plastic waste to make traditional concrete blocks carbon-zero.

Broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, a supporter of the Earthshot Prize since its inception, will voice the opening of the show while Oscar-winning actress and Earthshot judging panel member Cate Blanchett will narrate a lookback at the 2021 winners.

Actor Rami Malek, who played singer Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, will present an award, as will actress Catherine O’Hara, who starred in the film Home Alone and hit Canadian comedy series Schitt's Creek, along with environmental activist and actress Shailene Woodley.

William and Kate are also keen to meet members of many local communities during their visit to a city famed for its Irish community, sporting heritage and history.

The couple are said to be excited about their first international trip since becoming the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Listen to ITV News podcast the Royal Rota