This year we created the Artist Advocate Award to honor an individual who has used the art of dance to raise awareness and spread positivity even when she was facing the toughest of battles. Our 2022 Artist Advocate Award is presented to @tiabeestokes 🤍 Tia Stokes is an American dancer, philanthropist and social media star who gained popularity as the “Cancer Dancer” for sharing her upbeat dance videos on various platforms while struggling with cancer. Apart from chemotherapy, she had to battle COVID-19 and undergo bone marrow transplant before her body could begin recovering. She did not allow her bald head, swollen body, or the negative comments about her appearance deter her from sharing inspirational messages throughout her treatment. The talented dancer, who continued to dance during the whole ordeal, is the founder of the charity hip-hop dance troupe Kalamity and also owns a dance studio called The Vault in St. George, Utah. She now has 2.7M fans on TikTok and more than 668K followers on Instagram. Tia Stokes formed the adult hip-hop dance team, Kalamity, and while she was not sure why she chose the name, right before the group’s first public performance, a member was diagnosed with leukemia. She immediately found the group’s purpose and decided to donate the money from the performance to pay the dancer’s medical bills. Up until early 2021, the group, which has the motto “We dance for a cause, not for applause”, had raised nearly a million to help several families experiencing real-life calamities. Tia is the definition of DANCER AGAINST CANCER and has used her platform to inspire millions. @imadanceragainstcancer and @industrydanceawards is honored to award her as our 2022 Artist Advocate.