Non-binary and musically diverse: that’s Nemo
Published: Sunday, May 12th 2024, 09:30
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The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) has remained true to its role of being a pioneer in matters of gender diversity: Swiss act Nemo was the first non-binary person - i.e. a person who defines themselves as neither a man nor a woman - to win the world's biggest music competition. She started with opera at an early age, then went on to rap and finally ended up at the ESC.
The name Nemo means "nobody" in Latin. But Nemo Mettler is no longer a nobody, at least not since Saturday evening. The talented singer from Biel swept away the jury and the audience of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with his bombastic performance of "The Code". Around 150 million people around the world watched the spectacle on television screens.
The Berlin-based Swiss ESC lucky charm tells his own story with "The Code". "'The Code' is about the journey I began with the realization that I am neither a man nor a woman," said Nemo in the run-up to the show.
Difficult self-discovery
"Finding myself was a long and often difficult process for me," says Nemo. The ESC offers a huge opportunity to build bridges between different cultures and generations. "That's why it's very important to me as a gender-queer person to stand up for the entire LGBTQIA+ community." Each letter of the abbreviation stands for one's gender identity or sexual orientation.
Nemo was born in Biel in 1999. His musical career began at an early age. Nemo began playing the violin, piano and drums as a child. At 13, the talented musician applied for a role in the musical "Ich war noch niemals in New York" and promptly became part of the ensemble for a year. It was clear to Nemo: "That's what I want to do later! I want to be on a big stage," he was quoted as saying by Swiss Radio and Television (SRF).
Breakthrough with talent competition
This was followed by an appearance on the show "Die grössten Schweizer Talente" in 2015, and Nemo made his breakthrough in 2016. Nemo became known throughout Switzerland with his performance at SRF Virus' Bounce Cypher, a live rap event. This was followed by hits such as "Ke Bock", "Du" and "Himalaya", which thrilled the audience.
The next milestone followed just two years later: at the age of 18, Nemo won four Swiss Music Awards. "It's huere crazy," said Nemo at the time. He had already won an award the previous year - at the age of less than 20.
Another two years later, the next phase began. Nemo began writing and producing for other musicians, as well as making music in English, and moved from Biel to Berlin in 2021. Nemo told the news agency DPA that his new place of residence was a city where everyone could be who they wanted to be.
Outing in the year 2023
Nemo became increasingly preoccupied with gender identity. In 2023, Nemo finally made it public on Instagram that he was non-binary.
By winning the ESC, Nemo crowned his still young, diverse musical career - and achieved a remarkable milestone on his personal path to gender identity. "The Code" is the artistic manifesto of his personal journey. According to Nemo, the life story of the talented Swiss musician is a call to all to enter the "realm of authenticity".
©Keystone/SDA
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