Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar: Eurovision winner Nemo accepts Person of the Year
The singer was presented with their award by Dylan Mulvaney
By Alim Kheraj
2024 Eurovision winner Nemo has been named Person of the Year, supported by Virgin Atlantic, at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar.
Nemo was presented with their award at the ceremony last night (Wednesday 9 October 2024) by last year’s Attitude Woman of the Year, Dylan Mulvaney.
Addressing the audience after accepting their award, Nemo said: “Thank you so much. Thank you Dylan. Thank you to Attitude magazine. I’m very new here in London. I moved here four weeks ago, so this feels like a warm hug. I feel very welcomed here.”
The 25-year-old added: “More than anything, this award represents freedom to me. And what a journey it’s been to get to this freedom. The freedom to express myself. The freedom to create in ways that hold great meaning to me. The freedom to be myself.
“These are privileges I never take for granted. But as I stand here tonight, I can’t ignore the harsh reality that for so many across this planet, freedom in the way I understand it is not even a distant dream.
“There are countless tragedies that overshadow the possibility of gaining this freedom one day. In places like Sudan, Palestine, Ukraine, Congo and so many more, where the struggle to survive leaves little room for dreams of self-expression or personal choice, the burdens are staggering. So I want to dedicate this award to every person enduring these hardships because as long as there are those who live under the weight of violence, oppression and loss, none of us can truly call ourselves free.
“It’s easy to forget caught up in our lives that freedom is not a universal experience, but we can’t ever turn away from these injustices. Everyday, there are people who face unfathomable struggles, their hope stifled by conflict and struggling.”
Nemo concluded their speech by thanking those who continue to strive for equality: “This moment, this recognition, belongs just as much to those who continue to fight for a world where freedom isn’t a privilege for few, but a right for all.”
Nemo’s win closes out a star-studded and deeply moving evening. Earlier in the night, Elton John became the second ever recipient of The Legacy Award, supported by Virgin Atlantic, while pop icon Lulu was named Honorary Gay, supported by Jaguar.
“The last few months have been quite the rollercoaster” – Nemo
Meanwhile, the supremely talented Vanessa Williams was handed The Icon Award, with DJ and producer The Blessed Madonna winning The Music Award.
In their cover interview to support their win in the latest issue of Attitude – out now – Nemo opened up about their whirlwind year, which saw them beat out the competition at this year’s Eurovision in Malmö, Sweden.
“The last few months have been quite the rollercoaster,” they said. “It’s been an overwhelming experience at times.”
The singer, who just released their latest single ‘Eurostar’ about their recent move to London, also teased details about their upcoming new music.
“A lot of the album is going to be about going out, inspired by queer rave culture in Europe,” they said. “Berlin is playing a big role in that, for sure. London is too. I’m here to explore.”
They continued: “I really want to be a sponge right now, taking everything in. It’s going to be club-inspired and electronic, but genre-less, I should say. Music should have no rules. I don’t want to be put in a box, confined to musical expectations. I want to do what feels right.”
Nemo is one of five five cover stars for the new issue of Attitude. The others are musical legend Sir Elton John, pop icon Lulu, DJ and producer The Blessed Madonna and Juice star Mawaan Rizwan.
Order your copy of the Attitude Awards issue now or check out the Attitude app.
