Photo Credit: News Øresund – Johan Wessman | CC BY 3.0)
Switzerland won Eurovision Song Contest 2024, but the live show was not without protests, chaos, and controversy this year.
Switzerland’s Nemo won Eurovision this year, taking home the trophy in a year that saw the contest mired in controversy. The event is one of the most-watched live events in the world and celebrates the individuality of contestants from across Europe. Nemo is the first non-binary winner of Eurovision, who performed “The Code” about accepting their identity as a non-binary person.
“I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person,” Nemo said during their acceptance speech. “I have to say this whole experience was really intense and not just pleasant all the way. There were a lot of things that didn’t seem like it was all about love and unity—and that made me really sad,” Nemo continued. Nemo’s win is the first for Switzerland since Celine Dion won in 1988.
This year’s competition was hosted in Malmo on the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s breakout Eurovision performance—but it was not without controversy.
Protestors of the event called the decision to allow Israel’s contestant entry ‘artwashing’, but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) defended the decision. The EBU called Eurovision a non-political live performance. The EBU is the same organization that banned Russia from performing at Eurovision two years ago. It also disqualified the Dutch entrant for this year after a backstage incident with a female crew member. Police are investigating the incident with Joost Klein—though some audience members booed the decision to bar Klein.
While performing at the event, Israel’s Eden Golan was also booed by some members of the crowd—though those boos cannot be heard on the live broadcast. Some attendees left the arena, while others cheered on her rendition of “Hurricane.” Golan shouts a ‘thank you’ to the crowd and them bursts into tears before exiting the stage. Thanks to Nemo’s win this year, next year’s Eurovision will be held in Switzerland.
