Nemo wins the "Eurovision Song Contest" 2024
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Bern (ots)
Switzerland has won the biggest music competition in the world: 24-year-old musical talent Nemo, from Bienne, has won first place in this year's "Eurovision Song Contest" (ESC), held in Malmö, Sweden.
Nemo did it: After taking the stage last night to represent Switzerland in the final, held in the Malmö Arena in front of 9000 spectators and an estimated global TV audience of more than 150 million, Nemo prevailed against the opposition and won first place at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "The Code". This marks a sensational high point in the musical career of the talented singer, originally from Bienne, whose achievements include winning first place in the "SRF 3 Best Talent" category of the 2017 Swiss Music Awards, and gaining four more Swiss Music Awards in 2018. The ESC 2025 will therefore take place in Switzerland.
Nemo after the victory: "This victory not only belongs to Switzerland and the Swiss music scene, but it is above all a victory for the entire LGBTQIA+ community. I am so proud to be the first non-binary person to win the <ESC>!"
Yves Schifferle, Head of the ESC Delegation and Head of Show at SRF: "Nemo was able to withstand the enormous pressure they have been under for weeks due to the favourable odds, and delivered a sensational performance, winning the favour of both the jury and the public. We are overjoyed that Nemo was able to bring victory home to Switzerland, following excellent past performances by Gjon's Tears, who placed third in 2021, and Luca Hänni, who won fourth place in 2019."
Gilles Marchand, Director General of SRG and Member of the European Broadcasting Union Executive Board, witnessed Nemo's victory live in Malmö: "This is a tremendous success for Nemo, for Switzerland and for the entire team that made this victory possible. Even though broadcasting the ESC is a major challenge for all of the TV stations in terms of resources and finances, we are delighted nonetheless that our country will be hosting this beloved event in 2025. This will be a major opportunity for the arts and tourism, to show the world what Switzerland can do, and it is now up to us to accept this challenge together."
Switzerland is the birthplace of the ESC: In 1955, the Director General of SRG at the time, Marcel Bezençon, came up with the idea of an event that was meant to express the desire for a united Europe, as well as entertain. The first "Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson" [Grand Prix of the Eurovision Song Competition] took place on 24 May 1956 in Lugano, and was won by Swiss singer Lys Assia with her song "Refrain". The second and to date only other victory for Switzerland was in 1988, when global superstar Céline Dion won in Dublin with the song "Ne partez pas sans moi".
Representatives of the media are invited to avail themselves of this Google Drive link to the "Eurovision Song Contest" in Malmö. It contains images, original sound files and videos, among other things, about the trip, stay and rehearsals, as well as statements of victory from Nemo, SRG Director General Gilles Marchand and Yves Schifferle, Head of the Delegation. Further information about the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, the idea behind the event and Switzerland's participation can be found in the "Eurovision Song Contest" dossier.
Contact:
Edi Estermann
Head of the SRG SSR Media Department
medienstelle.srg@srgssr.ch
Tel. 058 136 21 21
Andrea Vogel
Media Officer for the ESC Swiss Delegation
andrea.vogel@srf.ch
Tel. 058 135 13 50