We can always count on the Eurovision Song Contest to deliver quite a spectacle, and this year’s ceremony certainly delivered. It was the night to remember for the Swiss contestant Nemo, who went down in history books as the first non-binary person to win Eurovision with their song “The Code”.
Despite not entering the competition as the front-runner, Nemo (who uses they/them pronouns) defied the odds in the grand final. They won over the jury and secured 22 sets of the maximum 12 points to win 365 jury points for a grand total of 591 points, defeating Croatia’s runner-up Baby Lasagna with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, who lost by 44 points despite winning the public vote.
In Nemo’s own words, their song sees them trying to “crack their own code and enter the kingdom of authenticity.” It was inspired by the freedom they gained by realizing they’re non-binary after a long and often difficult journey of self-discovery.
In addition to making history as the first non-binary Eurovision winner, Nemo is the first contestant to bring Eurovision to their home country in almost four decades. This marks Switzerland’s first victory since 1988, when Celine Dion emerged as the winner with “Ne partez pas sans moi”.
