Swiss singer Nemo, winner of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, said they would return the trophy in protest of Israel’s inclusion in next year’s competition, citing the country’s violations of international law in Gaza and concerns that the event is being used to sanitize a state accused of genocide.
"This is not about individuals or artists," the 26-year-old performer said on Instagram. "It's about the fact that the contest was repeatedly used to soften the image of a state accused of severe wrongdoing."
Nemo noted that a U.N. commission of inquiry has concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces have committed acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war in October 2023.
According to Eurovision organizers, the event stands for unity, inclusion and dignity, Nemo said.
But Israel's participation showed "a clear conflict between those ideals" and the decisions of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
EBU member broadcasters cleared the way for Israel's participation at a meeting in Geneva last week.
In response, broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland plan to boycott the next contest – the 70th edition – in Vienna in May 2026.
Nemo pledged to return the trophy to the EBU in Geneva: "If the values we celebrate on stage aren't lived off stage, then even the most beautiful songs become meaningless."
