Eurovision winner returns trophy over Israel’s participation
Swiss artist Nemo’s move comes after a number of EU countries announced boycotts
Swiss singer Nemo revealed on Thursday he is giving back his 2024 Eurovision Song Contest trophy to protest Israel’s ongoing involvement in the event.
Nemo, the winner of last year’s contest with the track ‘The Code’, stated on Thursday that the trophy “no longer has a place on my shelf.”
“Eurovision claims to stand for unity, inclusion, and dignity for everyone,” Nemo wrote in a social media post, noting that Israel’s participation amid what the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry has labeled a genocide reveals “a clear contradiction” with those values.
The artist stated he will send the trophy back to the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) headquarters in Geneva and called on the body to “practice what you preach.”
Nemo emphasized he is not targeting artists or fans, but rather how the contest has been “leveraged to improve the image of a state facing accusations of serious misconduct.”
His protest comes after multiple public broadcasters decided to pull out of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, as the EBU refused to exclude Israel. They pointed to the Gaza war and claims of voting rigging during the 2025 contest—something some networks argued helped Israel’s score.
Eurovision organizers have maintained that Israel fulfills the contest’s criteria and will stay eligible to compete in 2026. The EBU has rolled out new rules intended to curb political or government sway over entries and voting, following ongoing disputes tied to the Gaza conflict.
Previously, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland, and the Netherlands announced they will boycott the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest after Israel was allowed to participate.
Israel has denied genocide allegations since launching its Gaza offensive, which followed a deadly Hamas incursion into southern Israel in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. Gaza’s officials state Israel’s response has killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians.
The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest is set to be held in Vienna in May, after Austria’s win this year.
The EBU has barred Russia from Eurovision since 2022, citing the Ukraine war. Moscow retaliated by creating its own annual song contest, Intervision, which launched in September.