Nemo: The Life Story Behind Switzerland's Eurovision Winner

Nemo is a singer who broke the code. Not only the code of a song, but the code of what a pop star is supposed to be. In May 2024, they stood on the Eurovision stage in Malmö, Sweden, and sang The Code, a song about being non-binary, about refusing to fit into a box marked male or female, and about finding freedom in being yourself. The song mixed opera, rap, pop, and drum and bass, and it was unlike anything Eurovision had heard before. Europe voted, and Nemo won, giving Switzerland its first Eurovision victory in thirty-six years. It was a triumph, and it was a statement: a young person from Biel, singing about who they are, had won the biggest song contest in the world.

Nemo, whose full name is Nemo Mettler, was born in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, in 1999. They grew up playing music, rapping in Swiss German as a teenager, and learning to sing in many styles. They were a child of the internet age, making music on their own, sharing it online, and building an audience one listener at a time. They did not come from a famous family, and they did not follow a traditional path. They made their own path, and it led them to Malmö, to a broken trophy, and to a place in history.

Their story is the story of a young artist who refused to hide. They are non-binary, they use they/them pronouns, and they sang about it on the biggest stage in Europe. That honesty changed lives, and it changed Eurovision. Their story is not finished. They are young, they are still growing, and their next chapter is still being written. But what they have already done is remarkable, and it is worth telling.

A Musical Child in Biel

Nemo Mettler was born on 3 August 1999 in Biel/Bienne, a bilingual city in Switzerland where French and German meet. Biel is a city of watchmaking, of lakes, and of two languages, and Nemo grew up in the middle of it. They were a musical child, learning to play piano, violin, and drums, and singing from a young age. Music was not a hobby for them. It was a language, and they spoke it fluently, in many forms.

As a child, they learned classical music, and they learned to sing opera. That training gave them a voice that could do extraordinary things: it could soar like an opera singer, and it could rap like a hip-hop artist. That range became the heart of The Code, which moves from opera to rap to pop in three minutes. It was not a trick. It was the sound of a person who had learned many kinds of music, and who refused to choose only one.

Biel gave them a Swiss start, but it also gave them a feeling of being between worlds. The city is French and German, and Nemo was neither only one nor only the other. They were both, and they were something else as well. That feeling of being between, of not fitting neatly into a box, would become the theme of their life and their music. They did not fit into one language, one style, or one gender, and they learned to make that not fitting into a strength.

Their family supported their music, and they encouraged Nemo to perform. They played, they sang, and they dreamed of a life in music. That dream was not a fantasy. It was a plan, and they worked at it, year after year, with patience and with courage.

Teenage Rapper in Swiss German

As a teenager, Nemo became known in Switzerland as a rapper, performing in Swiss German. They started young, and they quickly gained attention for their skill, their energy, and their honesty. Swiss German rap was a small world, but Nemo stood out in it, because they could rap fast, they could write clever lyrics, and they could perform with a confidence that was rare for someone so young. They released music, they performed live, and they built a following in Switzerland.

In 2015, they released their first EP, Clownfisch, and in 2017, they released Momänt-Kids and the EP Du. The song Du, which means you, became a hit in Switzerland, and it showed a softer and more melodic side of their music. They were no longer only a rapper. They were a singer, a songwriter, and an artist who could move between styles. That versatility became their trademark, and it is one of the reasons they would later win Eurovision.

The teenage years were years of learning. Nemo learned how to write, how to record, and how to perform. They learned how to be on stage, and how to connect with an audience. They also learned who they were. As a teenager, they began to understand that they were non-binary, that they did not fit into the categories of male or female, and that they needed to live honestly. That understanding took courage, and it shaped everything that came after.

They were a young artist in a small country, making music in a small language, and they could have stayed there. But they had bigger dreams, and they were willing to work for them. They moved to Berlin for a time, they worked with other musicians, and they kept growing. The teenage rapper from Biel was becoming an international artist.

Finding Their Voice and Their Identity

In their late teens and early twenties, Nemo continued to make music, and they continued to grow as a person. They performed in Switzerland and in Germany, they released new songs, and they built a reputation as a talented and original artist. They sang in German, in English, and in French, and they mixed rap, pop, and opera in ways that no one else was doing. Their music was hard to describe, and that was the point. It was theirs, and it did not fit into a box.

They also spoke openly about being non-binary. They use they/them pronouns, and they have said that they do not feel male or female, but something in between, and something beyond. That honesty was brave, especially for a young artist in a world that still expects people to choose one side or the other. But Nemo did not choose. They lived as themselves, and they made music about it. That honesty earned them respect, and it earned them fans who saw themselves in Nemo’s story.

The years before Eurovision were years of preparation. Nemo was learning, growing, and finding their voice, both as a singer and as a person. They were not famous around the world, but they were respected in Switzerland, and they were ready for a bigger stage. That stage was coming, and it would be the biggest in Europe.

They also learned to be a performer, not only a recording artist. They worked on their stage presence, on their movement, and on their ability to hold an audience. Eurovision is a visual contest as well as a musical one, and Nemo understood that. They prepared for it with care, and when the moment came, they were ready.

The Code and the Road to Malmö

In 2024, Nemo was chosen to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden, with the song The Code. The song is about breaking free from the binary code of male and female, and about finding your own identity. It begins with opera, moves into rap, and ends with a joyful pop chorus, and it tells the story of a person who has found the code to being themselves. The song was written by Nemo with other songwriters, and it was a perfect fit for their voice and their story.

The Code was an immediate favourite. Fans loved its originality, its energy, and its message. It was unlike any other song in the contest, and it stood out from the first listen. Nemo performed it with confidence, with a staging that showed their skill as a dancer and as a singer, and with a joy that was infectious. The audience in Malmö loved it, and the audience at home loved it too.

In the semi-final, Nemo qualified easily, and in the final, they gave a performance that is now part of Eurovision history. They sang, they rapped, they spun on a spinning disc, and they held the audience in the palm of their hand. When the votes were counted, Nemo had won, with 591 points, giving Switzerland its first victory since Céline Dion won in 1988. It was a triumph, and it was a moment of joy for Switzerland and for non-binary people around the world.

The win was historic for another reason: Nemo became the first openly non-binary artist to win Eurovision. That mattered, because Eurovision is watched by millions of people, including many young people who are questioning their own identity. Seeing Nemo win, singing about who they are, gave those young people hope. It told them that they could be themselves, and that the world would celebrate them for it.

The Night of Victory and the Broken Trophy

The night of the Eurovision final was a night of joy and of chaos. When Nemo was announced as the winner, they celebrated on stage, and in the excitement, they broke the crystal trophy. It was an accident, a moment of pure joy, and it became one of the most talked-about moments of the night. Nemo was given a replacement trophy, and they laughed about it. The broken trophy became a symbol of the night: a victory so joyful that it could not be contained.

The win brought Nemo fame around the world. They were interviewed, they performed, and they became a spokesperson for non-binary people and for young artists. They used that fame with care, speaking about identity, about acceptance, and about the importance of being yourself. They did not let the fame change them. They stayed honest, they stayed kind, and they stayed true to their music.

The Code became a hit in many countries, and it introduced Nemo to audiences who had never heard of them. The song’s message, that you can break the code and be yourself, travelled far beyond Eurovision. It became an anthem for people who do not fit into boxes, and it is still sung and shared today. That is a remarkable legacy for a three-minute song, and it shows the power of honest music.

After Eurovision, Nemo continued to perform, to record, and to tour. They became a star, but they remained a young artist, still learning and still growing. Their story was not over. It was only beginning, and the world was watching to see what they would do next.

A Young Star With a Future

Today, Nemo is one of the most talked-about young artists in Europe. They won Eurovision, they broke a trophy, and they became a symbol of a new generation of artists who refuse to hide. They are still young, only in their mid-twenties, and they have a long career ahead of them. They continue to make music, to perform, and to speak about identity and acceptance.

Their legacy is already significant. They showed that a non-binary artist can win the biggest song contest in the world, and that a song about identity can be a hit. They showed that opera, rap, and pop can live together in one song, and that a Swiss artist can conquer Europe. They also showed that honesty is powerful, and that being yourself is the best way to win.

Nemo’s story is a story of a musical child from Biel who became a rapper, who became a singer, and who became a Eurovision winner. It is a story of talent, of courage, and of a refusal to fit into a box. It is a story that is still being written, and it is a story that gives hope to young people around the world. If Nemo can break the code, so can they. That is a beautiful message, and it is one that will last.

Before Eurovision: The Clownfisch Years

Before Eurovision, Nemo was already a respected artist in Switzerland, with a career that had grown steadily since their teenage years. In 2015, they released their first EP, Clownfisch, a record that showed a young rapper with skill, energy, and honesty. The songs were in Swiss German, and they spoke to young people in Switzerland in their own language. Nemo was not copying American rap. They were making Swiss rap, with Swiss words and Swiss feeling, and that made them stand out.

In 2017, they released Momänt-Kids and the EP Du, and the song Du became a hit in Switzerland. Du, which means you, is a melodic and tender song, and it showed a softer side of Nemo’s music. They were no longer only a rapper. They were a singer and a songwriter, and they could move between styles with ease. That versatility became their trademark, and it is one of the reasons they would later win Eurovision. A singer who can rap, sing opera, and sing pop is a rare singer, and Nemo is one.

The years before Eurovision were also years of growth as a person. Nemo moved to Berlin for a time, worked with other musicians, and learned how the music business works outside Switzerland. Berlin gave them a bigger world, with more artists, more styles, and more freedom. They used that freedom well, and they came back to Switzerland as a more complete artist, ready for a bigger stage. The teenage rapper from Biel was becoming an international star, one step at a time.

Those early years matter, because they show that Nemo’s Eurovision win was not an accident. It was the result of almost ten years of work, from Clownfisch to The Code, from a teenager rapping in Swiss German to a young adult singing opera and rap on the biggest stage in Europe. That is a long road, and it was walked with patience and with courage. The win in Malmö was the reward for that road, and it was well earned.

Life After the Win

After winning Eurovision in 2024, Nemo’s life changed. They became famous around the world, they were interviewed by media in many countries, and they performed for audiences who had never heard of them before. The Code became a hit in many countries, and Nemo became a spokesperson for non-binary people and for young artists. They used that fame with care, speaking about identity, about acceptance, and about the importance of being yourself. They did not let the fame change them. They stayed honest, they stayed kind, and they stayed true to their music.

They continued to perform, to record, and to tour, and they became a star, but they remained a young artist, still learning and still growing. Their story was not over. It was only beginning, and the world was watching to see what they would do next. That attention is a lot for a young person to carry, but Nemo has carried it with grace, and with a sense of humour, and with the same honesty that won them Eurovision.

The win also brought them a platform, and they have used it to speak about issues that matter to them, including the rights of non-binary people and the need for acceptance. They have spoken about the forms that only offer male or female, about the pressure to fit in, and about the importance of being seen. Those are serious subjects, and Nemo speaks about them with clarity and with kindness. They are not only a singer. They are a voice for a generation, and they take that role seriously.

Life after the win is still being written, and Nemo is still young. They have a long career ahead of them, and their next songs, their next tours, and their next steps will be watched by millions. Whatever they do next, they have already made history, and they have already changed lives. That is a remarkable achievement for a young artist, and it is only the beginning of their story.

The Code: A Song in Four Styles

The Code is a remarkable song, because it contains four styles of music in three minutes, and it makes them work together. It begins with opera, with Nemo singing in a classical style that shows their training as a child. The opera opening is bold, and it tells the audience at once that this is not an ordinary pop song. It is a song by an artist who can sing anything, and who is not afraid to show it. The opera section is beautiful, and it sets the song apart from everything else in the contest.

Then the song moves into rap, with fast words and a strong beat. The rap section tells the story of breaking free, of finding the code to being yourself, and it is delivered with energy and with confidence. Nemo was a rapper as a teenager, and that skill is on full display here. The rap is not an addition to the song. It is the heart of it, the part where the message becomes clear: I have broken the code, and I am free. The shift from opera to rap is daring, and it works because Nemo can do both, and because the two styles share the same feeling of liberation.

The song then moves into pop, with a joyful chorus that the audience can sing along to, and into drum and bass, with a beat that makes the room move. The pop chorus is the part that stays in your head, and the drum and bass gives the song its energy. Together, the four styles make a song that is unlike any other Eurovision winner. It is not a ballad, and it is not a dance song. It is all of them at once, and it is Nemo, in musical form: many things living together in one person, and making something beautiful.

The Code won because it was original, because it was honest, and because it was performed with joy. It showed Europe that a song can be many things at once, and that an artist can be many things at once, and that the world is ready for that. It is a song that will be remembered, not only as a Eurovision winner, but as a moment when music changed, and when a young person from Biel showed the world how to break the code.

My Take:

When I think about Nemo, the first thing I feel is hope. They are young, they are talented, and they are honest, and they won the biggest song contest in the world by being themselves. That gives me hope, because it tells me that the world is changing, and that it is changing for the better. A non-binary artist from a small Swiss city can win Eurovision, and millions of people will celebrate them for it. That would not have happened twenty years ago, and it is a sign that the world is becoming kinder, and more open, and more willing to listen to people who are different.

I admire their courage most of all. It takes courage to stand on a stage in front of millions of people and sing about who you are, when who you are does not fit into the boxes the world has made. Nemo did that, and they did it with joy, not with anger. They did not sing a sad song about being different. They sang a joyful song about breaking the code, and they made the audience dance. That is a powerful choice. It says that being yourself is not a burden. It is a celebration, and it is something to dance to. I think that message is important, especially for young people who are still figuring out who they are.

What moves me about their story is the music itself. The Code is a remarkable song, because it mixes opera, rap, pop, and drum and bass in three minutes, and it works. That is not easy to do. Many songs that try to mix styles end up sounding messy, but The Code sounds clear and joyful. It shows Nemo’s training, their classical background, and their love of rap, all living together in one song. I think that is a metaphor for Nemo themselves: many things living together in one person, and making something beautiful. The song is the person, and the person is the song, and that is why it is so powerful.

I also think about their childhood in Biel, learning piano, violin, and drums, and singing opera. That training gave them a voice that can do almost anything, and it shows in The Code. The opera part is not a trick. It is real, and it comes from years of practice. I admire that, because it shows that Nemo did not become a star overnight. They worked, they practised, and they learned their craft, from childhood to Eurovision. That hard work is the foundation of their success, and it is a lesson for anyone who wants to be an artist: practise, learn, and do not rush. The stage will wait for you, if you are ready.

Their teenage years as a rapper in Swiss German are another part of their story that I love. They started young, in a small language, in a small country, and they built an audience one listener at a time. That is a humble beginning, and it is an honest one. They did not have a big record company behind them. They had their talent, their energy, and their phone, and they shared their music online. That is how many young artists start today, and Nemo shows that it can lead to Eurovision. I think that is an inspiring message for young people: you do not need to be famous to start. You only need to start, and to keep going.

The broken trophy is a moment I keep thinking about, because it is so human. Nemo won, they celebrated, and they broke the trophy by accident. It was not a perfect moment. It was a real moment, full of joy and chaos, and it became one of the most loved moments of the night. I like that, because it shows that Nemo is not a polished and perfect star. They are a real person, who gets excited, who makes mistakes, and who laughs about them. That realness is part of why people love them. They are not pretending to be perfect. They are being themselves, and that includes breaking a trophy in joy.

There is something I find sad in their story, too, and it is the sadness of a world that still makes it hard to be non-binary. Nemo has spoken about the challenges, about the forms that only offer male or female, about the people who do not understand, and about the pressure to fit in. That pressure is real, and it is unfair. I am sad that a young artist has to fight for the right to be themselves, when being yourself should be the easiest thing in the world. But I am also hopeful, because Nemo’s win shows that the fight is working, and that the world is listening. Every time Nemo sings The Code, the world hears a little more, and it understands a little better.

I think about the young people who watched Eurovision in 2024 and saw Nemo win. Some of them were non-binary, some of them were questioning, and some of them were simply different. Seeing Nemo win must have meant a great deal to them. It told them that they are not alone, that they can be themselves, and that they can succeed. That is a powerful gift, and it is one that Nemo gave freely, simply by being honest. I am grateful for that, because representation matters, and Nemo’s victory is representation at its best.

For a young reader, I would say this: listen to The Code first, because it is a great song, and because it will make you dance. Then learn about Nemo’s story, and you will see a young person who worked hard, who was honest, and who won by being themselves. That is a lesson for anyone: do not hide who you are. Be yourself, work hard, and the world will find you. Nemo did that, and they won Eurovision. You may not win Eurovision, but you can win your own life, by being yourself, and that is the most important victory of all.

In the end, I think Nemo teaches us that the code can be broken. The code that says you must be male or female, the code that says you must fit into a box, the code that says you must be like everyone else: all of it can be broken, and when you break it, you find freedom. Nemo found that freedom, and they sang about it, and Europe listened. They are Switzerland’s Eurovision winner, and they are much more than that. They are a voice for a new generation, a singer who broke the code, and a young artist whose story is only beginning. I look forward to hearing what they do next. I also think about what their win means for the world. A non-binary artist from a small Swiss city can win Eurovision, and millions of people will celebrate them for it. That would not have happened twenty years ago, and it is a sign that the world is changing, and that it is changing for the better. I feel hopeful when I think about that, because it tells me that honesty is becoming more valued, and that difference is becoming more accepted. Nemo’s win is not only a musical victory. It is a human victory, and it belongs to everyone who has ever felt different and wished the world would see them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Nemo?

Nemo, full name Nemo Mettler, is a Swiss singer born on 3 August 1999 in Biel/Bienne. They are non-binary and use they/them pronouns, and they won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 for Switzerland with the song The Code.

What is The Code about?

The Code is about breaking free from the binary code of male and female and finding your own identity. The song mixes opera, rap, pop, and drum and bass, and it tells the story of a person who has found the code to being themselves.

When did Nemo win Eurovision?

Nemo won the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2024 in Malmö, Sweden, with 591 points. It was Switzerland’s first Eurovision victory since Céline Dion won in 1988.

Was Nemo the first non-binary Eurovision winner?

Yes, Nemo became the first openly non-binary artist to win Eurovision. Their victory was celebrated as a historic moment for non-binary people and for young artists around the world.

What did Nemo do before Eurovision?

As a teenager, Nemo became known in Switzerland as a rapper in Swiss German, releasing the EP Clownfisch in 2015 and the hit Du in 2017. They trained in classical music and opera as a child, learning piano, violin, and drums.

Did Nemo break the Eurovision trophy?

Yes, in the excitement of winning, Nemo accidentally broke the crystal Eurovision trophy on stage. They were given a replacement trophy, and the moment became one of the most talked-about parts of the night.