Eurovision turmoil: Swiss winner Nemo sends back trophy over Israel row

The champion of last year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Nemo has decided to send back their trophy in protest of Israel's continued participation in the event.

According to Nemo, the 2024 winner with the song The Code which is a mix of drum-and-bass, opera, rap, and rock, the participation of Israel undermined the contest’s ideals of “unity, dignity, and inclusivity” for everyone.

Israel’s participation at Eurovision has become a source of contention due to its blatant atrocities in Gaza.

Nemo said in a post on Instagram, “Eurovision says it stands for unity, for inclusion, and dignity for all people. And these are the values that make this contest so meaningful for me.”

“But Israel's continued participation during the U.N.'s Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded to be a genocide, shows there's a clear conflict between those ideals and the decisions the EBU is making,” he added.

The singer also said that, in protest, the Eurovision trophy will be sent back to the EBU’s headquarters in Geneva.

"This is not about individuals or artists. It's about the fact that the contest was repeatedly used to soften the image of a state accused of severe wrongdoing, all while the EBU insists that this contest is non-political," Nemo said.

Recently, five countries, including Ireland, Spain, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia have boycotted the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest event on the grounds of Israel’s involvement.