Nemo, the Swiss singer who won the 2024 Eurovision song contest, has said they are handing back their trophy in protest over Israel’s participation in next year’s event. The 26-year-old, the first non-binary winner of the contest, said on Thursday there was “a clear conflict” between the Eurovision ideals of “unity, inclusion and dignity for all” and the decision to allow Israel to compete. They were joined on Wednesday by Iceland, where the board of the national broadcaster RÚV voted not to participate. 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’. Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, has said Israel “deserves to be represented on every stage around the world”.

Source: The Guardian December 12, 2025 00:46 UTC