Eurovision winner hands back trophy following controversy

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Nemo, who won the Eurovision Song Contest last year, has returned their trophy in protest of Israel’s participation in next year’s competition. The decision to allow Israel to compete has led several other countries to pull out of the contest.

This situation unfolds against the backdrop of the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza and accusations that the Israeli government attempted to influence election results. These allegations prompted a discussion about stricter regulations, ultimately leading to the postponement of a vote regarding Israel’s continued involvement.

Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Slovenia, and the Netherlands are among the countries that have announced they will not participate in next year’s event.

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Nemo, Switzerland’s winner of the 2024 competition with the song ‘The Code,’ is returning their trophy due to the ongoing controversy.

Nemo, last year’s Eurovision winner, expressed their gratitude in an Instagram post for the supportive community surrounding the contest. They also shared how much they’ve grown as a person and an artist through the experience, and were honored to receive the trophy.

They explained they no longer wanted to keep the trophy, stating that Eurovision promotes unity, inclusivity, and respect for everyone, and those principles were what made the competition important to them.

Nemo also pointed out that Israel’s ongoing involvement, especially given the UN’s finding that a genocide is occurring, highlights a contradiction between the EBU’s stated values and its actions.

The issue isn’t with the performers themselves. The competition was consistently exploited to improve the reputation of a country facing serious accusations, despite the EBU’s claims that Eurovision is apolitical.

Following several countries’ decisions to withdraw from the competition, the singer stated that “it’s obvious something is seriously wrong.” They announced they would return their trophy to the EBU in Geneva, expressing both gratitude and a firm message: “Practice what you preach.”

Honestly, as a fan, it really hit me when they said that what they show on stage has to be real life too. It makes total sense – even the most amazing songs feel empty if the people singing them aren’t living those values every day. I’m so ready for the day their words and actions match up. They ended by saying this award really belongs to Nemo, which was a sweet touch, but I’m holding out for genuine consistency.

Martin Green, the director of Eurovision, has responded to Nemo’s decision to return their 2024 trophy, stating (according to BBC News) that they are disappointed, as Nemo rightfully earned the win.

We appreciate Nemo’s passionate beliefs and they will always be a welcome and important member of the Eurovision community.

Eurovision 2026 is slated for two semi-finals on 12 and 14 May, with a final on 16 May.

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2025-12-12 16:19