Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest early Sunday morning with “The Code,” an operatic pop-rap about the singer’s journey towards a gender nonconforming identity.
The Swiss contestant defeated Croatian rocker Baby Lasagna to win the title, receiving the most points from a combination of national judges and global viewers. Nimmo, 24, is the first non-binary woman to win the contest, which has long been seen as a safe space for the LGBT community. Nimmo is also the first Swiss winner since 1988, when Canadian singer Celine Dion competed under the Swiss flag.
After the results of Saturday’s final were announced just after midnight, Nimmo said, “Thank you so much.” “I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person.”
At a press conference after winning, Nimmo said he was proud to accept the trophy for “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’s victory in the Swedish city of Malmö marked the end of a transcontinental pop contest that saw massive street protests against Israel’s participation and turned a fun music festival into a chaotic pressure cooker fueled by the war in Gaza. Following a tumultuous year, it has been overshadowed.
A few hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was suspended following a police investigation following a backstage altercation.
Nemo (full name Nemo Mettler) beat out finalists from 24 other countries, all of whom performed live in front of thousands of viewers worldwide, an estimated 180 million viewers. Each participant gave her three-minute performance, combining catchy songs and breathtaking scenery to captivate the audience. Musical styles range from rock, disco, techno, rap, and sometimes a mixture of several.
Israeli singer Eden Golan, who spent Eurovision week under tight security in Malmö, took to the stage in front of a sound wall of boos and cheers to perform his power ballad “Hurricane.” Despite the outcry sparked by her performance, Golan soared up the ratings charts that week, joining Nemo, Baby Lasagna, Ukrainian duo Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil, and French singer Slimane. He came in 5th place.
Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have ordered the original title of the song, “October Rain”, to be changed. This is an apparent reference to the October 7 Hamas attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel and sparked a war in Gaza.
This show is classic, from the pop-zombie-folk hybrid of Estonia’s 5Miinust It was an eclectic Eurovision production. Step onto the stage from a giant egg with almost no clothes on.
While Ireland’s gothic Bambie Thug summoned a demon onstage and brought a scream coach to Malmo, Britain’s Olly Alexander gave the uplifting dance hit “Dizzy.” Meanwhile, Spain’s Nebulossa boldly reclaimed a term that was used as an insult on women in “Zorra.”
Nemo is one of the contest winners along with Baby Lasagna, whose song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” is a hilarious song that deals with the problem of young Croatians leaving the country in search of a better life. It’s a rock number.
Half a century after ABBA won Eurovision with ‘Waterloo’, the most iconic moment of the Eurovision Song Contest, the contest returns to Sweden, the homeland of last year’s winner Loreen. Ta. Although ABBA did not appear in person in Malmö, the digital “ABBA tars” of the stage show “ABBA Voyage” appeared.
The trio of former Eurovision winners Charlotte Perelli, Carola and Conchita Wurst performed ‘Waterloo’ in tribute.
The Eurovision Song Contest’s motto is ‘Unite through music’, but this year’s event was controversial. Protests and dissent have marred what has become a combative celebration of Europe’s diverse and sometimes confusing musical tastes, and a forum for inclusivity and diversity.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets of Sweden’s third-largest Muslim-dominated city for the second time in a week on Saturday to demand a boycott of Israel and a cease-fire in the seven-month war in Gaza, which is dominated by Hamas. According to the Ministry of Health, approximately 35,000 Palestinians were killed.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Malmö Arena before the final, shouting “shame” at arriving music fans and confronting police who blocked their way. Climate activist Greta Thunberg was among those taken away by police.
Dutch artist Klein was removed from the competition after a female member of the production team complained, the competition’s organizer, the European Broadcasting Union, announced. The 26-year-old Dutch singer and rapper was popular with both bookmakers and fans for his song “Europapa”.
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros, one of dozens of public broadcasters co-sponsoring and broadcasting the tournament, said Klein was filmed without consent as he left the stage after Thursday’s semi-finals and then later appeared on camera. He said he made “threatening movement” towards him.
The department said Klein did not touch the camera or the cameraman and that his ejection was “disproportionate.”
In the hours leading up to the final, tension and tension were evident. Several artists were absent from the Olympic Artist Performance at the start of the final rehearsal, but all appeared at the finale.
Several participants mentioned peace and love at the end of their performances, including France’s Slimane, who said that they were “United by music for love and peace.”
Nimmo said the Eurovision experience was “really intense and not just pleasant all the way.” It was done.
“There were a lot of things that didn’t seem like it was all about love and unity, and that made me really sad,” Nemo said. “I really hope that Eurovision continues and can continue to stand for peace and love in the future. I think that needs a lot of work still.”
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