Nemo, this year’s winner, is a unique figure not only for his musical talents, but also for his gender identity. The Swiss representative won the hearts of the jury and the audience with the song “The Code”, thanks to which he won this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. This is the first time in Eurovision history that a non-binary person triumphs in this prestigious competition.
Early life and musical beginnings
x was born on August 3, 1999 in Biel/Bienne, a bilingual city in Switzerland. From an early age he showed interest in music. At the age of three, he learned to play the violin, and later learned to play drums, piano, singing and opera. At the age of nine, Nemo had already performed in various operas, which proves his extraordinary talent and commitment.
The Mettler family ran a creative agency, which created an inspiring environment for Nemo and his younger sister, Ella, to develop as artists. Ella, now 22, was also involved in her siblings’ success, dealing with styling and press photography during Eurovision.
Nemo became fascinated with the Berlin hip-hop scene as a teenager. Inspired by artists such as Sido, he tried to write lyrics, create beats and develop his musical career. The breakthrough came in 2016, when Nemo won the rap competition organized by the Swiss radio station SRF. This performance surprised many – no one expected that a young artist with braces and a woolen hat could rap so confidently and skillfully.
In 2023, in an interview with SonntagsZeitung, Nemo officially revealed his/her identity as a person, emphasizing the preference for using “they” pronouns in English and first name instead of pronouns in German. In November of the same year, Nemo joined songwriter camp, which happened the beginning of the road to Eurovision.
Fighting for the rights of non-binary people
The song “The Code” is a mixture of various musical genres, mainly rap, but also with elements of opera, pop and drum and bass. The lyrics of the song describe Nemo’s personal journey in discovering his gender identity, which aims to support others in a similar situation and promote equality for the LGTBIQ+ community.
As the artist himself says: “People say that ‘The Code’ reminds them of James Bond or Freddie Mercury doing K-Popwhich I love.” Nemo drew inspiration from the opera he listened to as a child, which significantly influenced his musical work.
After winning Eurovision, Nemo wants to continue to actively engage in the fight for greater rights for non-binary people. In her public speeches, she often raises the issue of the need to introduce a third gender option in identity documents. As Sandro Niederer, director of Transgender Network Switzerland, emphasizes, “Nemo’s victory is very symbolic, and the visibility it generates enables discourse and calls for equality for non-binary people in Switzerland.”
opened up many new opportunities for Nemo. The artist plans to continue his musical career. As samx says: “It’s amazing to be able to do something that you really feel, it makes the whole experience so much more authentic for me.”
Nemo uses the pronouns “they/them”, which can be translated into Polish in many ways in the context of non-binary people – we do not have one specific use. In support of the Miłość Nie Wyleża association, we recommend browsing the zaimki.pl website and its translation suggestions, including: gendered pronouns and nouns.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
