Berlin – Eurovision fans in Switzerland were preparing to welcome singer Nemo as a hero on Sunday. She Nimmo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with “The Code”. She is an operatic pop-rap anthem about the singer's journey to coming to terms with her non-gender identity.
The singer, who is Swiss but currently lives in Berlin, was due to arrive in Zurich on Sunday evening, according to state broadcaster SRF.
The Swiss contestant earned the most points from a combination of national judges and global viewers, defeating Croatian rockers Baby Lasagna to win the title.
Nimmo, 24, is the first non-binary winner of the contest, which has long been embraced as a safe haven by the LGBTQ community. Nimmo is also the first Swiss winner since 1988, when Canadian singer Celine Dion competed under the Swiss flag.
At a press conference after his win, Nimmo expressed pride in receiving the trophy for “people who have the courage to be themselves and who need to be heard and understood.” We need more compassion, more empathy. ”
Nimmo's hometown of Biel congratulated the newly crowned star online and said residents were ready to celebrate.
“Congratulations! The City of Beer is very proud,” it said on the town's website, “Bravo and Merci Nemo for their wonderful song and performance and for introducing the color of beer to the world!” “Your city will celebrate and welcome you.”
The city of Biel has a population of approximately 60,000 and is located on the shores of Lake Biel, approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Basel. The town is bilingual in German and French and is considered the watchmaking capital of Switzerland.
“Nemo freely creates and moves between classical culture, alternative culture, and popular culture,” said Glenda Gonzalez Bassi, the town's cultural affairs officer. “It’s a great example of the dynamic and inclusive culture that beer is proud of.”
Nemo (full name Nemo Mettler) beat out finalists from 24 other countries, all of whom performed in front of thousands of viewers worldwide, an estimated 180 million viewers. Each contestant had three minutes to blend catchy songs and spectacular sights into her performance, captivating the hearts of viewers. Musical styles ranged from rock, disco, techno, and rap, and in some cases, mashups of several.
People across Switzerland have already started thinking about next year, when the next Eurovision contest will be held. Traditionally, the winning county hosts a music competition the following year.
SRF reports that the cities of Geneva, Basel and St. Gallen have already established themselves as venues for the next competition.
“This is a great artistic and tourist opportunity to show the world what Switzerland is all about, and it is now up to us to take up this challenge together.” said Gilles Marchand, executive director of media company SRG, an association of Swiss news agency.
Regarding Berlin, their second home, Nemo told German news agency dpa before the Eurovision contest: It's a fun city. ”
In Croatia's capital, Zagreb, thousands of people gathered in the main square to welcome the second-place finisher, Baby Lasagna, home. “We love you,” the audience cheers as the singer performs “Rim Tim Tagi Dim,” an upbeat rock number that addresses the issue of young Croatian people leaving the country in search of a better life. Raised.
The Croat was hoping for a win, but Baby Lasagna burst into tears when she took the stage, saying she never expected such a rousing reception. “We did our best. We hope you're happy,” he said.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also joined the audience and said, “I am proud that Croatia achieved its best result since independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.''
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Associated Press writer Giovana Gek in Belgrade, Serbia, contributed to this report.
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