SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Belgian-born composer Yves Stilmant has been named a 2026 InterContinental Music Awards Winner – Best of Europe for his composition Son of the Belgae in the Celtic category.
The recognition carries particular meaning for Yves Stilmant, whose recent orchestral and cinematic work has increasingly explored his Belgian heritage and the history of the ancient Belgae of continental Europe.
“Son of the Belgae is deeply personal to me,” Yves said. “I was born in Belgium, and over the years I found myself returning more and more to the history of the Belgae and to the land and people from which I came. To have this particular composition recognized internationally as Best of Europe is something I will never forget.”
Now based in South Lake Tahoe, California, Yves creates orchestral, cinematic, and contemporary classical music through SLT Recording Studios, Lumiere SoundWorks/Audio Alchemy Productions and Groove Tattoo Publishing.
The InterContinental Music Awards, headquartered in Los Angeles, recognizes artists from around the world across a broad range of musical traditions and genres. According to ICMA, its 2026 winners were selected through an independent professional judging process involving GRAMMY® winners and voting members, Emmy® winners, Billboard-charting artists, internationally recognized composers, producers, songwriters, conductors, music executives, educators, and film and television composers.
The 2026 winners were officially announced during the 14th Annual InterContinental Music Awards Online Awards Ceremony on August 23, 2026, which brought together artists and music professionals representing 122 cities around the world.
His work frequently draws upon history, cultural memory, nature and narrative storytelling, with his Belgian heritage and the ancient Belgae becoming an important thread throughout a growing body of compositions.
The ICMA honor follows a series of recent international recognitions for Yves’s music, including Best Soundtrack at the Cannes World Film Festival for The Chief’s Legacy, Best Score at the Paris Art and Movie Awards for Guardians of Arduenna, and international classical-music recognition for works including Titan’s Awakening.
For Yves Stilmant, however, the recognition of Son of the Belgae carries a significance beyond another addition to his list of awards.
“Music has allowed me to reconnect with something that has always been part of who I am,” Yves said. “The Belgae existed long before the modern country of Belgium, but that history still speaks to me. If my music can help keep even a small part of that memory alive, then I have accomplished something worthwhile.”
His work encompasses orchestral and cinematic composition, contemporary classical music and film scoring, with an emphasis on emotional storytelling, historical themes and the cultural heritage of the ancient Belgae.
For more information, visit his website at http://www.thelakemusic.com.