Adam Met, a member of the indie pop band AJR and an environmental advocate, received an Earth Award on Oct. 9 at the TIME100 Next Gala in Manhattan. The annual event honors emerging leaders worldwide, and TIME’s Earth Awards highlight individuals working to solve the climate crisis.
Met was recognized for his work as founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit Planet Reimagined, which is advocating a plan to repurpose oil and gas land for renewable energy sources. Met has a BA from Columbia University and a PhD that focused on large scale renewable energy projects.
Sporting a green velvet blazer fitting for his work promoting a greener planet, Met said his favorite part of working on climate change issues is bringing together people from all different backgrounds. “The climate crisis is not going to be just solved by scientists. It’s not just going to be solved by communicators. It’s not just going to be solved by musicians—certainly not just going to be solved by musicians. But everyone plays a vital role.”
Gesturing to the audience with his award in hand, he added, “I see myself and all of us as just getting started on this project. This is not the end of something. This is just the beginning of something that I hope we will all work together on.”
The award was presented by fellow musician Kat Graham, a 2024 TIME100 Next honoree for her refugee rights activism. Graham, also an actor known for her work on The Vampire Diaries, lauded Met for “using his access to get into the right room” and “talk to the right people.”
At the 2023 TIME100 Next gala, the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer accepted an Earth Award for his work on an investment platform aimed at accelerating climate solutions and for his efforts to encourage youth voter turnout. Other prior Earth Award recipients include actor Mark Ruffalo, actor Jane Fonda, former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The TIME100 Next Gala was presented by Toyota, Discover Puerto Rico, Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and FIJI Water.