The Code: Nemo Becomes Eurovision's First Non-Binary Winner

MAY 15 2024 · 12:55

Nemo · "The Code" · Switzerland · 2024 Placement: 1st · Score: 591 · Language: English · Composers: Nemo Mettler, Benjamin Alasu, Lasse Nymann, Linda Dale · Venue: Malmö Arena · Host: Malmö, Sweden · Type: winner · Broadcast: streaming On May 11, 2024, at the Malmö Arena — the contest staged on the 50th anniversary of ABBA's Brighton 1974 win — Swiss singer Nemo Mettler performed 'The Code,' an operatic-rap-hybrid song about coming out as non-binary, while spinning on a motorized tilted disk (pre-Eurovision described in Swiss press as 'almost impossibly difficult to sing on'). The three-minute performance crossed operatic runs, rap cadences, and high-end pop vocal production while Nemo physically rotated on an unstable platform. Nemo won with 591 points, becoming the first openly non-binary Eurovision winner and Switzerland's first Eurovision victory since Céline Dion's 1988 win — a 36-year drought. They held up a non-binary pride flag during the winners' recap, a gesture staff had briefly attempted to block before allowing. The victory continued the Dana International 1998 → Conchita Wurst 2014 → Nemo 2024 lineage of Eurovision queer-landmark wins at roughly fifteen-year intervals. Context Eurovision 2024 in Malmö was the most politically charged contest since 2022, driven by Israel's participation during the Gaza war and sustained protests both within the Eurovision ecosystem and on Malmö streets. Netherlands' entry Joost Klein was disqualified hours before the final over a backstage incident. The contest programming and audience reception were shadowed by the geopolitical context throughout the week. Switzerland had participated in Eurovision since 1956, won the first-ever contest (Lys Assia) and then Céline Dion's 1988, but had been in drought since. Nemo had been performing in Switzerland and Germany since age 15 and had arrived at Eurovision with an established career; the 'The Code' submission had won Switzerland's internal selection. The rotating platform staging had required dedicated rehearsal time and was widely considered a high-technical-risk choice. Legacy Nemo's win is the defining Eurovision identity-politics victory of the 2020s, a direct heir to Dana 1998 and Conchita 2014, completing a recognized three-win queer-landmark sequence across 26 years. Switzerland's 36-year drought ended. The non-binary pride flag moment became the most-circulated image of the 2024 contest despite the Israel-Gaza context dominating official coverage. Eurovision 2025 was held in Basel — Nemo's home city — and became a logistical showcase for Swiss broadcasting capacity that had atrophied during the long drought. Nemo's post-Eurovision career has included multiple international tours and significant streaming performance. Mythology Nemo is sometimes described as the first queer Eurovision winner; they are the first openly non-binary winner but the fourth or fifth major queer-landmark win depending on definition. The rotating-platform difficulty is occasionally exaggerated into suggestions that Nemo fell during rehearsals; no public falls occurred. The pride-flag-blocking incident backstage is often framed as a full EBU confrontation; it was a staff-level moment resolved within minutes. Some accounts describe the win as a close margin; the 591-point total was decisive.