In a riveting turn of events at The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, Nemo Mettler from Switzerland emerged as the winner. The radiant talent, who uses they/them/their pronouns, captivated the audience with their performance of the winning track, ‘The Code’, at the Malmö Arena in Sweden.
The 24-year-old’s exceptional feat was announced post revelation that they had outshone the other 24 contestants, thereby securing the coveted glass microphone trophy.
Originating from a quaint Swiss town named Biel, Nemo’s performance fetched an impressive tally of 365 points from the juries. The live finale saw a total of 25 acts vying for the top spot. Each act represented its respective country in this singing competition, and the accumulated scores were projected on the screen adding to the suspense.
(Image: TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images)
It was a unanimous decision with both the jury and the public echoing in Nemo’s favour during this year’s contest.
Nemo’s spectacular win ensued within hours of the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) announcement of various alterations following the disqualification of Dutch act, Joost Klein. The 26-year-old’s absence from the final was affirmed before it began. Resultantly, an inquiry into an allegation of improper behaviour was initiated by the Swedish police, as reported by the EBU.
A press statement released by the EBU highlighted that Joost Klein’s disqualification does not involve another performer or delegation member.
(Image: AP)
The EBU reassured its commitment towards maintaining a zero-tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and ensuring a safe and secure working environment for all staff involved in the contest.
The unbecoming conduct of Joost Klein towards a member of the team necessitated a rethink, and thus the breach of the Contest rules led to the 68th Eurovision Song Contest proceeding with only 25 participating songs.
Despite the reshuffling, the Eurovision organisers ensured that the participants’ official running order remains unchanged. In an updated ranking system, the EBU accounted for the jury results, ascertaining that the Netherlands would not receive any points. Henceforth, all songs were ranked from one to 25, compared to the previous total of 26 performers.
The EBU confirmed that during the final, no points would be awarded to the Netherlands from the viewing public, and the country would be exempt from the scoreboard. However, Dutch viewers are still permitted to vote in the grand final, and the results of the Dutch jury are still recognised as valid.
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