Four Maltese Artists Take International Honours at the 2026 InterContinental Music Awards
- Melodija Team
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Maltese music has enjoyed a remarkable international success at the 2026 InterContinental Music Awards in Los Angeles, with four Maltese artists taking top honours across four different categories. Chellcy Reitsma, Lyndsay Pace, Garison Bonnici and Benji Cachia were all recognised by the international competition, highlighting the diversity of talent emerging from Malta and its ability to make an impact well beyond the local music scene.
The four artists were recognised in distinctly different musical fields, ranging from European rock and Europop to instrumental music and alternative music, making the achievement particularly noteworthy.
The InterContinental Music Awards (ICMA) is a Los Angeles-founded international music recognition platform which honours musicians according to their cultural and continental origins. It aims to provide independent and professional musicians, singers and composers with international exposure and recognition, while connecting artists with audiences and music communities from around the world.
Chellcy Reitsma wins Best of European Rock
Among the Maltese successes was Chellcy Reitsma, who was named the winner of the Best of European Rock category for her song “Chemicals.”
The award was announced on Sunday, 23 August 2026, in Los Angeles, California. Reitsma, a Maltese and Dutch-American singer-songwriter and Grammy Voting Member, wrote “Chemicals” herself, while the music was composed by Maltese musician and composer Alan Degabriele.
The track was produced and published by The Animal Farm Music in London and mastered by Levi Owen at Hafod Mastering in Wales, giving the song an international production team to complement its Maltese creative roots.
The ICMA award adds to an already highly successful year for Reitsma. Earlier in 2026, she won six awards at the European International Music Awards. She was also nominated at the World Entertainment Awards in Hollywood for Best Alternative Rock Song for “Dark Times”, attending the awards' red-carpet event. During the same weekend, she attended the Grammys as a first-time voting member.
Lyndsay Pace takes Best Europop Song
Lyndsay Pace also emerged as a winner, taking the Best Europop Song award for her song “Fireproof.”
For Pace, the recognition represents an important milestone in her musical career, acknowledging her songwriting and artistry while providing further international exposure for her music.
“I am incredibly honoured to receive this award for ‘Fireproof’,” says Pace. “It means so much to have my music recognised on an international level. I’m truly grateful to everyone who has supported me and believed in my journey.”
The award comes as Pace continues to build momentum in her career and introduce her music to new audiences, with the international recognition providing further encouragement as she pursues opportunities beyond Malta.
Garison Bonnici – Best Instrumentalist
The awards also recognised the talent of Maltese trumpet player Garison Bonnici, who won the Best Instrumentalist category with his original composition “Grandpa.”
Unlike a conventional award entry, “Grandpa” carries a deeply personal story. The piece was written as a tribute to Garison's late grandfather and reflects the memories, love and emotional connection between the two.
Garison's grandfather played a particularly important role in his musical journey. In 2010, he bought Garison his first trumpet, an instrument which would subsequently become central to his development as a musician.
As a result, “Grandpa” represents more than an instrumental composition. Through the trumpet, Bonnici transforms personal memories and gratitude into music, creating a tribute to the person who helped set his musical journey in motion.
The composition was initially listed among the finalists for Best Instrumentalist before ultimately being announced as the category's winner. The international recognition therefore gives Bonnici the opportunity to share an intensely personal piece with an audience far beyond Malta while honouring the memory of his grandfather.
Benji Cachia – European Alternative
Completing the quartet of Maltese winners is musician and percussionist Benji Cachia, better known as Banjo Rancho, whose “10 Beats Later” won the European Alternative section at the 2026 InterContinental Awards in Los Angeles.
Cachia has been active as a professional musician for more than two decades, having spent years studying, practising and performing. During his career he has shared stages and worked alongside a diverse range of international artists, including Pete Lockett, John Butler, Plini, Fernando Hernandez, the original drummer of Queens of the Stone Age, Guthrie Govan, Dry the River and Delta Sleep.
Beyond performing, Cachia is also passionate about education. As a percussion and music teacher, he offers both individual and group classes catering for students of different ages and levels.
His ICMA recognition for “10 Beats Later” adds another international achievement to a career which has combined performance, collaboration and music education.
Four winners, four different musical directions
The success of Reitsma, Pace, Bonnici and Cachia is significant not simply because four Maltese artists won at the same international awards, but because each did so in a different musical category.
From Reitsma's European rock to Pace's Europop, Bonnici's trumpet-led instrumental composition and Cachia's alternative work, the four awards illustrate the breadth of music being created by Maltese artists.
Their achievements also underline the increasingly international nature of Malta's music community. While each artist has followed a different musical path, their recognition in Los Angeles places all four within the same global platform and demonstrates that Maltese talent can compete across a wide range of genres.
For a relatively small island with an increasingly active music scene, four wins at an international competition of this nature provide plenty of reason for celebration — and another reminder that Maltese music continues to find new ways of reaching audiences well beyond the shores of Malta.
Congratulations to Chellcy Reitsma, Lyndsay Pace, Garison Bonnici and Benji Cachia on their outstanding achievements at the 2026 InterContinental Music Awards — four well-deserved international honours that proudly showcase the depth and diversity of Maltese musical talent.
Comments