Early on Sunday, Nemo, a Swiss singer, emerged victorious in the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with "The Code," an operatic pop-rap tribute to the artist's process of accepting a nongender identity.
By accumulating the highest points from a global audience as well as national juries, Switzerland's competitor defeated Croatian rock musician Baby Lasagna to take home the championship. Nemo, 24, is the first nonbinary winner of the competition, which the LGBT community has always welcomed as a safe haven. Nemo is also the first Swiss victor since Canadian singer-songwriter Celine Dion participated under the Swiss flag in 1988.
Nemo expressed his gratitude just after midnight on Saturday following the announcement of the final results. "I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person."
Nemo was proud to accept the medal for "people that are daring to be themselves and people that need to be heard and understood" during a press conference held following the triumph. We require greater empathy and compassion.
Nemo's triumph in the Swedish city of Malmo came after a tumultuous year for the pan-continental pop competition, marked by significant street demonstrations against Israel's participation, which turned the otherwise upbeat musical extravaganza into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the Gaza War.
A few hours prior to the championship match, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was disqualified from the competition due to a backstage brawl that was under police investigation.
Nemo, whose full name is Nemo Mettler, defeated 24 other national finals who all performed in front of live crowds of thousands of people and an estimated 180 million viewers worldwide. Each competitor had three minutes to craft presentations that would capture the hearts of the audience by combining memorable music with striking visuals. There was a variety of music, including rap, techno, rock, and disco, sometimes combined in unique ways.
After spending Eurovision week in Malmo under strict security, Israeli singer Eden Golan hit the stage to a wall of sound, eliciting both shouts and jeers as she performed the power ballad "Hurricane." Despite the protests that accompanied her debut, Golan's odds table rocketed up during the week. She finished in fifth place, behind French singer Slimane, Nemo, Baby Lasagna, and the Ukrainian pair alyona alyona & Jerry Heil.
The original title of her song, "October Rain," was changed by the Eurovision organizers, presumably in reference to the October 7 Hamas attack that left nearly 1,200 Israelis dead and started the Gaza War.
The show featured a wide variety of Eurovision acts, including Estonia's 5Miinust x Puuluup, who performed a pop-zombie folk hybrid, Greece's Marina Satti, Armenia's Ladaniva, and Finland's Windows95man, who appeared from a giant onstage egg wearing very little clothing.
Olly Alexander from Britain provided the lively dance music "Dizzy," while Bambie Thug from Ireland, with a gothic vibe, called a devil onto the stage and brought a screaming coach to Malmo. Nebulossa from Spain bravely took back a name that was used as a derogatory term for women in "Zorra."
Nemo and Baby Lasagna, whose song "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" is a lively rock song that addresses the problem of young Croatians fleeing the country in quest of a better life, were favorites coming into the competition.
Fifty years after ABBA's "Waterloo" victory—arguably the most memorable Eurovision moment—the competition returned to Sweden, the country of last year's winner, Loreen. Though their digital "ABBA-tars" from the "ABBA Voyage" stage show did, ABBA did not make an appearance in person in Malmo.
As an homage, "Waterloo" was performed by Charlotte Perrelli, Carola, and Conchita Wurst, the three previous Eurovision champions.
Despite the slogan "united by music," this year's Eurovision has proven to be a contentious affair. A competition that has evolved into a campy celebration of Europe's diverse — and occasionally perplexing — musical tastes as well as a platform for inclusivity and diversity was overshadowed by protests and opposition.
For the second week in a row, thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors marched through Sweden's third-largest city, which is home to a sizable Muslim population. Their demands included a boycott of Israel and an end to the seven-month-long Gaza war, which has claimed the lives of nearly 35,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the territory controlled by Hamas.
Before the final, hundreds of people gathered outside the Malmo Arena. Some of them confronted police who were obstructing their way and yelled "shame" at incoming music lovers. Greta Thunberg, a climate activist, was one of the people led off by police.
The European Broadcasting Union, the tournament's organizer, said that Klein, the Dutch artist, was removed from the competition following a complaint from a female member of the production staff. Bookmakers and fans alike had been fond of the 26-year-old Dutch rapper and singer because to his hit song "Europapa."
One of the dozens of public stations who jointly support and televise the competition is the Dutch station AVROTROS. It was said that Klein was filmed leaving the stage following Thursday's semifinal without his permission, and as a result, he made a "threatening movement" toward the camera.
Claiming that Klein never touched the camera or the camera operator, the broadcaster referred to Klein's dismissal as "disproportionate."
In the hours leading up to the final, tension and nervousness were evident. Though everyone showed up for the last dress rehearsal, a few artists missed the Olympics-style artists' entrance at the beginning.
Following their performances, a number of contestants mentioned love or peace. One such competitor was Slimane of France, who remarked, "United by music for love and peace."
Nemo described his experience at Eurovision as "really intense and not just pleasant all the way."
"There were a lot of things that didn't seem like it was all about love and unity, and that made me really sad," said Nemo. "I sincerely hope that in the future, Eurovision may remain a symbol of love and peace. That, in my opinion, still requires a lot of work."
