A Swiss performer became the first nonbinary person to win the annual Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday during a Grand Final event that also saw Israel's contestant booed by pro-Palestinian protesters in the audience.
Rapper and singer Nemo, 24, beat runner-up Baby Lasagna of Croatia with their performance "The Code," an operatic, pop-rap song about Nemo's journey toward embacing a nongender identity, the Associated Press reported.
"I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person in this world," Nemo said on stage after receiving the Eurovision trophy.
"To know that a song that has changed my life and a song where I just speak about my story has touched so many people and maybe inspired other people to stay true to their story is the most insane thing that has ever happened to me," Nemo said at a news conference.
Nemo also revealed that they accidentally broke the glass, microphone-shaped trophy before adding: "But I got a new one, so I technically have two now."
Israel's Eden Golan, 20 — who reportedly received death threats via social media — placed fifth following a performance during which both booing and applause could be heard inside Sweden's Malmo Arena, Reuters said.
The crowd reaction was reportedly also partly audible to the estimated 180 million people watching the live broadcast on TV.
Before the event, thousands of protesters gathered in central Malmo where they waved Palestinian flags and altered the Eurovision slogan "United by music" by chanting chanted, "Eurovision united by genocide."
Police used pepper spray to break up the demonstration and took some activists into custody.
Saturday's final only featured 25 contestants after Dutch performer Joost Klein was disqualified over an intimidation complaint filed against him by a female member of the show's production crew, sparking an investigation by Swedish police.
