Swiss fans prepare to welcome Eurovision winner Nemo home – Winnipeg Free Press

BERLIN (AP) — Swiss Eurovision fans were preparing Sunday for a hero’s welcome to singer Nemo, who won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with “The Code,” an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey to the adoption of a non-gender identity.

The singer, Swiss but currently residing in Berlin, was due to land in Zurich on Sunday evening, national channel SRF said.

The Swiss competitor beat Croatian rocker Baby Lasagna to the title by winning the most points from national juries and viewers around the world.

Supporters of singer Nemo, finalist of the 68th ESC Eurovision Song Contest, celebrate at a public screening of the broadcast of the ESC final as Nemo is declared the winner of the competition, in the early hours of Sunday May 12, 2024, in Biel, Switzerland. Biel is Nemo's hometown. (Adrian Reusser/Keystone via AP) — Supporters of singer Nemo, finalist of the 68th ESC Eurovision Song Contest, celebrate at a public screening of the broadcast of the ESC final as Nemo is declared the winner of the competition, in the early hours of Sunday May 12, 2024, in Biel, Switzerland. Biel is Nemo’s hometown. (Adrian Reusser/Keystone via AP)

Nemo, 24, is the first non-binary winner of the competition which has long been considered a safe haven by the LGBTQ community. Nemo is also the first Swiss winner since 1988, when Canadian singer Céline Dion competed under the Swiss flag.

At a press conference after the victory, Nemo expressed his pride in accepting the trophy for “people who dare to be themselves and people who need to be heard and understood.” We need more compassion, we need more empathy.

Nemo’s hometown of Biel congratulated the new star online and said locals were ready to celebrate him.

“Congratulations! The city of Biel is extremely proud and says: Well done and thank you Nemo for the fantastic song and performance and also for carrying the colors of Biel to the world!” the city said on its website. “Your city will celebrate you and welcome you.”

Biel, with a population of around 60,000, is located about 100 kilometers southwest of Basel on Lake Biel. The city is bilingual in German and French and is considered the watchmaking capital of Switzerland.

“Nemo creates and evolves freely between classic, alternative and popular culture,” said Glenda Gonzalez Bassi, the city’s culture manager. “A wonderful example of the vibrant and inclusive culture we pride ourselves on in Biel.”