Eurovision winner Nemo to return trophy in protest at Israel

The winner of last year's Eurovision Song Contest, Nemo, has said they are returning their trophy in protest over Israel's continued participation in the event.

The 26-year-old Swiss singer said there was a "clear conflict" between Israel's involvement in the competition and the ideals of "unity, inclusion and dignity" the contest says it stands for.

Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, said Eurovision was "saddened" by the decision and respected Nemo's views.

Israel's presence at Eurovision has been an increasing source of tension, because of the war in Gaza and a voting controversy during this year's event.

Five countries - Iceland, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands - have announced they will boycott next year's event because Israel has been allowed to compete.

Israel has previously called the decision to keep it in the contest a "victory" over critics who had tried to silence it and spread hatred.

Nemo became the first non-binary performer to lift the Eurovision trophy with their song The Code, which is about the path to realising they were non-binary.

After the win, Nemo told the BBC about the challenges they faced during the contest and their feeling that organisers had not done enough to support participants caught up in the row over Israel's inclusion in 2024.

"I felt very alone. I really hope they have things in place for the next year," Nemo said at the time. It prompted a series of new measures to be introduced to protect the mental well-being of Eurovision's artists and staff.

In a statement posted to Instagram on Thursday, Nemo said they felt the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) decision to allow Israel to still take part in the event no longer aligned with its core values.

"Israel's continued participation, during what the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded to be a genocide, shows a clear conflict between those ideals and the decision made by the EBU," they said, referring to a report released in September.

"Even though I am immensely grateful for the community around this contest and everything this experience has taught me both as a person and artist, today I no longer feel this trophy belongs on my shelf."

Nemo also posted a video of them placing the trophy in a cardboard box, saying it will be sent back to the EBU's headquarters in Geneva.

In a statement sent to BBC News, Martin Green said: "We're saddened that Nemo wishes to return their trophy which they deservedly won in 2024.

"We respect the deeply held views Nemo has expressed and they will always remain a valued part of the Eurovision family"

The boycotts and protests over Israel's inclusion have been the biggest crisis Eurovision has ever seen.

This year's competition also had a voting controversy and allegations that Israel's government tried to influence the public vote.

This prompted some competition rules to be changed and tightened, after which a "large majority" of members agreed there was no need for a further vote on participation and that Eurovision 2026 could proceed as planned, the EBU has said.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog has praised the decision to allow the country to compete, calling it an "appreciated gesture of solidarity, brotherhood, and co-operation".

Addressing the boycotts, Nemo insisted that their decision to hand back the trophy was not about "individuals or artists", but rather what they believed was the use of Eurovision to "soften the image of a state accused of severe wrongdoing".

"When entire countries withdraw, it should be clear that something is deeply wrong," they added.

"If the values we celebrate on stage aren't lived off stage then even the most beautiful songs become meaningless."

The war in Gaza was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 70,370 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Next year's Eurovision is due to take place in Vienna, for what is supposed to be a celebratory 70th anniversary edition of the contest.