By: Mark Asuncion
Swiss Star Nemo Reigns Supreme at Eurovision 2024
Photo Courtesy: Jonathan Currin
On a momentous night in Malmo, Sweden, Swiss singer Nemo emerged victorious bagging 591 points at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, May 11, 2024!
Their performance, “The Code,” an operatic pop-rap ode song, found itself on track with the audiences and propelled Nemo to victory being the first nonbinary artist to win Eurovision. In the same night, Croatia’s Marko Purišić, also known as Baby Lasagna, delivered a strong performance along with the Swiss artist, ultimately placing as the runner-up, earning 547 points.
“This was one of the most representations on screen in Eurovision,” Nemo said as this is more than just a song. Nemo’s ‘The Code’ is a powerful anthem of self-discovery as a queer artist. As Nemo explains, it epitomises their personal journey as a non-binary individual, one filled with happiness and the ultimate triumph of self-acceptance.
Looking into the competition, Eurovision’s motto, “United by Music,” has always rang true – a vibrant celebration of Europe’s diverse musical arras. But the 2024 contest wasn’t without its “unpleasantries,” as Nemo phrased it, citing a sense of disunity and events that overshadowed the spirit of love and peace Eurovision strives for.
This includes the participation of Israel amidst ongoing conflicts, The Gaza protests in Malmo, the disqualification of the Netherlands’ Joost Klein, the withdrawal of the Dutch public broadcaster AvroTros and Dutch artist Nikkie de Jager to deliver jury points at the finals.
These events, Nemo believes, foregrounds the need for improvement of the European Broadcasting Union’s handling of sensitive issues. “I really hope that Eurovision continues and can continue to stand for peace and love in the future,” they declared. “I think that needs a lot of work, still.”
In the midst of the Eurovision ataxia, Nemo stood as a lantern of triumph. Their close-knit bond with fellow contestants – Ireland’s Bambie Thug, Greece’s Marina Satti, and Portugal’s Iolanda – exemplified the very unity and love that seemed so illusory during the competition.
“The Code,” speaks to the challenges of navigating identity, the tribulations of back-and-forth struggles by going to hell and back, but ultimately by trusting and believing in your truth, you will sequentially be led to your own paradise.
It is a song that shatters the constraints of conventional gender stereotypes where 0s and 1s are peripheral, a code Nemo themself is breaking and puts on a cadence that nonbinary artists and people have a place in the world.
Watch the Grand Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest here.
