Swiss artist Nemo has clinched the victory at the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden with their song, The Code.
The song, an intriguing fusion of opera and hip-hop, won the jury vote, earning the 24-year-old an impressive tally of 591 points.
Nemo has made history as the first non-binary artist to win Eurovision. Aptly, they penned the song as a reflection of their journey towards self-acceptance.
Croatia, the leader of the public vote, secured second place with the lively party anthem Rim Tim Tagi Dim. Meanwhile, the UK’s Olly Alexander landed in 18th place out of 25.
The Years and Years singer received no points from the public but was spared the last place thanks to the jury vote, which awarded his song, Dizzy, 46 points. This year’s contest was marked by protests over Israel’s participation amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Israel’s contestant, 20-year-old singer Eden Golan, received a mixed reaction of boos and cheers as she performed on stage in Malmö, ultimately finishing fifth.
In their victory speech, Nemo expressed, “I hope this contest can fulfill its promise and continue to uphold peace and dignity for every individual in this world.”
They later accidentally broke the contest’s renowned crystal microphone trophy while celebrating their victory on stage. Other artists echoed similar sentiments.
Representing Ireland, Bambie Thug passionately declared “love will triumph hate” at the conclusion of their song, Doomsday Blue. Portugal’s contestant, Iolanda, assured the audience, “Peace will prevail.”
Two previous contestants, Alessandra Mele and Käärijä, withdrew from announcing their countries’ jury scores. Mele pointed to Israel’s participation as a reason, while Käärijä stated it “didn’t feel right” to award points.
Despite the controversy, Golan’s song received considerable support, coming second in the public vote with a score of 323. The UK was among the 15 countries where the public awarded the 20-year-old the maximum of 12 points.
