Photo: Pedro J Pacheco · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Born in Switzerland · Nationality Swiss — Culture / media / celebrities

Nemo Mettler

Documented profile covering 5 controversies, including “Return of Eurovision trophy in protest against Israel's participation” and “Public advocacy for a third gender option in Swiss civil status records”.

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Profile No. 0124 · Updated on 12 October 2026

5Documented controversies

8Sources

0Formal charge · all time

0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

2025–2026

Return of Eurovision trophy in protest against Israel's participation

No legal proceedings

In December 2025, Nemo announced the return of the trophy won at Eurovision 2024 in protest against Israel's continued participation in the 2026 edition, considering its inclusion incompatible with the competition's stated values. The decision formed part of a wider crisis, with several broadcasters announcing a boycott.

State of the evidence: Public statement and symbolic gesture documented
Legal status — source text: No judicial proceedings
Attribution: Nemo was responsible for a symbolic political gesture, with no allegation of illegality

Sources · 2

[1]
ReutersSwiss Eurovision winner Nemo to send trophy back in protest over Israel’s participationMediaHigh reliability
[2]
Associated Press35 countries will compete in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest after 5 countries announce boycottMediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 1 September 2026

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2024–2025

Criticism of EBU over non-binary flags and Eurovision's 'double standard'

No legal proceedings

Nemo said they had had to bring in a non-binary flag despite restrictions at Eurovision 2024 and subsequently criticised what they regarded as the EBU's double standard. The 2025 rules again restricted flags on stage and in the green room.

State of the evidence: Nemo's statements and flag rules documented
Legal status — source text: No judicial proceedings
Attribution: Nemo voiced the criticism and was also personally affected by the restrictions

Sources · 1

[1]
ReutersSwiss Eurovision stirs familiar controversy over Israeli entry, LGBTQ+ flagsMediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 1 September 2026

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2024–2025

Conservative backlash against Nemo's victory and attempts to hold referendums on funding Eurovision 2025

No legal proceedings

After Nemo's victory, conservative Swiss groups sought to force referendums against the use of public money to host Eurovision, denouncing, among other things, the 'woke' agenda and the queer and non-binary visibility associated with the contest and Nemo.

State of the evidence: Referendum campaigns and conservative statements documented
Legal status — source text: No judicial proceedings; Nemo was primarily the symbolic target of the controversy
Attribution: No wrongdoing attributed to Nemo; the artist was used as a symbol in a political and cultural conflict

Sources · 2

[1]
EuronewsSwiss conservatives want to force referendums on Eurovision, calling it appalling propagandaMediaHigh reliability
[2]
ReutersSwiss Eurovision stirs familiar controversy over Israeli entry, LGBTQ+ flagsMediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 1 September 2026

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2024

Public advocacy for a third gender option in Swiss civil status records

No legal proceedings

Following their Eurovision victory, Nemo called on Switzerland to legally recognise a third gender option and announced their intention to discuss the issue with the Justice Minister.

State of the evidence: Public position and political debate documented
Legal status — source text: No judicial proceedings
Attribution: Personal responsibility for a political demand, without illegality

Sources · 2

[1]
ReutersNemo’s Eurovision win fires up Swiss advocates for non-binary rightsMediaHigh reliability
[2]
SRFNemo und der Kampf für die NichtbinärenMediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 1 September 2026

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2024

Interview cut short after questions considered too political

No legal proceedings

During an interview with the Bieler Tagblatt, Nemo's team had requested that political questions be avoided. When the journalist raised the politically charged nature of Eurovision, Nemo ended the interview, saying they felt the questions were an attack.

State of the evidence: Interruption of the interview reported by Keystone-SDA and the Swiss press
Legal status — source text: No judicial proceedings
Attribution: Personal and management responsibility for the handling of the interview

Sources · 2

[1]
Nau.ch / Keystone-SDANemo bricht Interview mit «Bieler Tagblatt» abMediaMedium reliability
[2]
Nau.chExperte warnt Nemo nach Interview-Fail: «Risiko für Glaubwürdigkeit»MediaMedium reliability

Last verified: 1 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

III. Has something changed?

A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.