Swiss rapper and singer Nemo won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with their piece "The Code," an opera, rap, and rock song about the singer's journey of self-discovery as a non-binary person.
"I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person in this world," Nemo, use the they/them pronouns, told reporters in the press conference after the show, as quoted by USA Today.
In the press conference, Nemo also discussed the song "The Code" 's impact on them and its significant win in the international competition.
"To know that a song that has changed my life and a song where I just speak about my story has touched so many people and maybe inspired other people to stay true to their story is the most insane thing that has ever happened to me," Nemo added. "People that are daring to be themselves and people that need to be heard and need to be understood. We need more compassion, we need more empathy."
Nemo won the contest with 591 points, making it the first song that Switzerland has won since pop star Celine Dion triumphed in 1988 with "Ne partez pas sans moi."
Nemo's win gives the Alpine country its third win in the Eurovision franchise. Switzerland won in 1956 with Lys Assia's "Refrain," the first-ever song to win the Eurovision Song Contest.
Croatia's "Rim Tim Tagi Dim," performed by Baby Lasagna, came in second place with 547 points. It has been highly predicted that Croatia and Switzerland will be the frontrunners to the top of the competition.
Ukraine's "Teresa & Maria," performed by Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil, came in third, while France's "Mon amour" by Slimane finished fourth.
Eurovision Song Contest's Grand Finals in Malmo, Sweden, on May 11, 2024, capped off after months of protests, calls for boycotts, and even production controversies following the decision of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) 's decision to include Israel this year despite the country's ongoing war with Palestine at the Gaza Strip.
Israel's Eden Golan finished fifth overall, receiving the fifth combined points among the 26 finalists. She placed twelfth on the jury's standing and second on televoting.
The controversial iteration of the Eurovision Song Contest ended with The Netherlands' Joost Klein being disqualified from the Grand Finals over a reported altercation that the police have since investigated.