Eurovision winner Nemo: ‘My song has given queer and non-binary people a home’

Eurovision Song Contest 2024 winner Nemo has reflected on their ‘fever dream’ year (Picture: Martin Sylvest Andersen/ Getty Images)

A year on from making history as the first-ever non-binary winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, Nemo has told Metro how determined they are to continue ‘giving a voice to people without one’.

In 2024, the Swiss singer and rapper conquered Eurovision with their song The Code, which detailed the realisation they were non-binary, with their performance in the Grand Final earning them a whopping 591 points, combining the jury and public vote.

‘The Code is about the journey I started with the realisation that I am neither a man nor a woman. Finding myself has been a long and often difficult process for me. But nothing feels better than the freedom I have gained by realising that I am non-binary,’ they said at the time.

Since winning the contest, Nemo has been using their platform to advocate for causes close to their heart, gaining a loyal legion of fans in the process.

Speaking to Metro in Basel ahead of Eurovision 2025 kicking off, Nemo reflected on the ‘fever dream’ whirlwind of the past year.

Despite soaring to worldwide fame in the past 12 months, the singer couldn’t have seemed more grounded as we sat together in the top-floor bar of a hotel offering sweeping views of the Swiss city.

The Swiss singer won the contest with their song The Code (Picture: Tobias Schwartz/ AFP via Getty Images)

‘That’s been the biggest gift of this whole experience,’ they said of fans reaching out to share how much The Code had meant to them.

‘Sometimes the time is right, and everything aligns, and it becomes more than about yourself and I think to know this song has been able to give people a home – those who are queer and non-binary – but also be a ground for discussion in a positive light.

‘It was hooked to a very positive experience and that enabled the whole narrative and discussion around it to be positive as well.’

Some of the lyrics of The Code included the lines: ‘This story is my truth…I went to hell and back to find myself on track…This story is my truth.’

Nemo took the non-binary flag on stage with them (Picture: Getty)

Nemo explained how nowadays, they feel as though there are ‘so many narratives’ that are ‘spreading the opposite message’ of the song.

”It’s hard to create positive narratives because in the world we live in, they don’t sell as well. So, I am grateful that moment happened in the way it did, and it did something and I hope it can continue in this way and people remember the people and humanity. I hope I will be remembered for this moment.’

However, after last month’s Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman in the UK, the 25-year-old called the decision an ‘attack on trans rights’ which would ‘impact the whole community’.

Soon after, Nemo shared a draft letter on their website encouraging UK fans to contact their local MP and lobby them to challenge the court’s decision.

The musician is currently working on new music after relocating to London (Picture: Scott A Garfitt/ Invision/ AP)

‘I think we are wasting so much time and energy on these narratives that are created to cause a lot of attention, and everyone starts talking about them and then you end up with a ruling like this…that then puts trans women into an incredibly vulnerable position. I felt it was important to contribute to make people aware too,’ they said, visibly looking concerned by the continued attacks on the transgender community.

Over the years Eurovision has been seen as a haven for the LGBTQ+ community, a safe space for performers and fans alike, with the contest being won by queer performers nine times.

But in recent years, the European Broadcasting Union has come under fire for only allowing acts to bring their own national flags onstage or into the green rooms, effectively barring them from flying the Pride flag or that of any other gender identity or sexuality. This year’s final also falls on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, on May 17.

After winning last year, Nemo will be returning to the stage for a performance at the Grand Final, which they teased would be ‘the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever put out’.

Before Nemo won Eurovision, they were a relatively well-known performer in their home country, winning a string of Swiss Music Prizes and also competing on The Masked Singer Switzerland in 2021.

After living in Berlin in recent years, they temporarily moved to London to work on new music at the end of last year, sharing they ‘fell in love with the city and saw a pathway for my music moving forward there’.

Although Nemo jokes about just surviving living in a ‘freezing’ studio in North East London over winter, they also shared their newfound love for the area and how it provided them with a strong sense of community.

Nemo has said they are now ‘enjoying trusting my creative instincts’ (Picture: Nemo)

After winning Eurovision (the third Swiss act to do so), Nemo said they’d been given a ‘sense of artistic direction that has been a blessing and which I couldn’t have foreseen any time before that’.

‘As an artist you are working through a lot of insecurities but putting my trust into the song (The Code) and how I wanted to perform it and being myself was the right decision that has given me a lot of artistic confidence and I’ve been able to enjoy trusting in my instincts a lot more,’ they said.

Looking forward to their ‘next chapter’ ahead of the 2025 Eurovision winner being decided, Nemo is looking forward to continue working on new music, but was most proud of what they hope is a lasting legacy when people look back on their win.

‘The happiest thing about all of this is that the performance was able to contribute in that way and make people feel safer, confident to come out to their families and feel visible and that’s a really beautiful thing and I am really proud of that,’ they said.

The second Eurovision semi-final airs on Thursday from 8pm on BBC One. The final airs on Saturday at 8pm on BBC One.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.