Nemo, the Swiss singer and non-binary artist who triumphed at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, has announced they are returning their winner's trophy. The act is a direct protest against the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) decision to allow Israel to compete in the 2025 event.
In a statement shared on Instagram, the 26-year-old winner expressed a profound conflict between the contest's stated values and its actions. "Even though I am immensely grateful for the community around this contest and everything this experience has taught me both as a person and artist, today I no longer feel this trophy belongs on my shelf," Nemo wrote. They argued there is "a clear conflict" between Eurovision's ideals of "unity, inclusion and dignity for all" and permitting Israel's participation.
The move intensifies an ongoing crisis for Eurovision 2025, which is now facing a formal boycott from five countries. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia had previously announced their withdrawal after the EBU declined to expel Israel over its conduct of the war in Gaza. They were joined this week by Iceland, where the board of the national broadcaster RÚV voted not to participate.
Nemo's statement emphasized that the protest targets institutional decisions, not individual artists. "The contest was repeatedly used to soften the image of a state accused of severe wrongdoing, all while the EBU insisted Eurovision is ‘non-political’," they stated. "And when entire countries withdraw over this contradiction, it should be clear that something is deeply wrong. That’s why I’ve decided that I’m sending my trophy back to the EBU headquarters in Geneva."
Israeli officials have defended the country's place in the contest. The Israeli broadcaster Kan welcomed the EBU's decision, rejecting allegations of political interference. President Isaac Herzog stated Israel "deserves to be represented on every stage around the world." Following Iceland's withdrawal, Israel's embassy in Norway, which also handles relations with Iceland, said it was "disappointed" by a move it called "entirely against the spirit of the contest."
Currently, the UK is due to participate when the competition kicks of fin around 6 months time. However, a lot can change in that time. Will we see more countries boycott the competition? Will the UK pull out? Only time will tel..
