Geneva: Nemo, the Swiss singer who won the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, has returned their winner’s trophy in protest at Israel being allowed to compete in next year’s event.
The artist, who was the first non-binary performer to win the contest, said the decision to keep Israel in the lineup conflicted with the values Eurovision claims to uphold.
The 26-year-old said that they no longer felt comfortable keeping the award while the contest faced its most serious crisis in years. Five countries have already withdrawn from the 2026 edition over Israel’s war in Gaza and the European Broadcasting Union’s refusal to suspend the country.
Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia announced boycotts soon after the EBU confirmed Israel would remain in the contest. Iceland followed on Wednesday, after the board of national broadcaster RÚV voted not to participate.
Nemo said the contest had been used in recent months to soften the international image of a state accused of severe abuses, even as the EBU continued to insist that Eurovision was apolitical. They argued that when entire countries pull out over this contradiction, it becomes clear that something fundamental has gone wrong. Nemo said they would return the trophy directly to EBU headquarters in Geneva.
🇨🇭#Eurovision 2024 winner, Nemo want to give back their trophy.
“Eurovision stands for unity, yet Israel’s participation shows a clear gap between ideals and actions. Until your words match your actions — the trophy is yours” pic.twitter.com/0rUoXPSDtQ
— Eurovision News (@EurovisionNewZ) December 11, 2025
Israel has defended its participation. Broadcaster Kan welcomed the EBU’s stance and rejected claims of political interference. President Isaac Herzog said Israel deserved representation on global cultural stages. Israel’s embassy in Norway, which also covers Iceland, expressed disappointment at RÚV’s withdrawal, saying the move went against the spirit of the contest.
With six months to go, 34 countries are scheduled to take part in Eurovision 2026, though several have yet to confirm their final decision. The BBC, which normally chooses the UK entrant through an internal process, has said it supports the decisions made at the recent EBU summit but has not stated whether the UK will participate next year.
The EBU said it regretted Nemo’s decision but respected their stance, adding that the singer would remain a valued part of the Eurovision community.
