Broken Heart Love Affair and Lifelong Crush Announce Recipients for Miles Philip Hammond Scholarship

​Broken Heart Love Affair (BHLA) and Lifelong Crush (LLC) have revealed the 2025 recipients of the third Miles Philip Hammond (MPH) Scholarship, honouring two young creatives who demonstrate exceptional resilience, creativity, and courage in the face of adversity.

The scholarship continues to expand, this year at Humber Polytechnic, a leading institution dedicated to cultivating the next generation of creative thinkers, marking an exciting new chapter for the initiative as it continues to provide opportunities for emerging talent from underrepresented communities to thrive in the creative industries.

The first 2025 recipient is Myuri Srikugan – a Tamil-Canadian digital artist from Scarborough whose work blends documentary and digital media to tell powerful stories rooted in community and emotion. Myuri has faced financial barriers for most of her life, often relying on scholarships and financial aid to pursue her education. “Receiving this scholarship is an important step in my growth as a creative professional. It allows me to focus more deeply on refining my skills in advertising and building a strong portfolio that reflects my voice and interests” said Myuri. “My long-term goal is to become a creative director, and this support helps me invest more time and energy into developing the ideas, craft, and strategic thinking needed for that path. I’m grateful for this opportunity and excited to continue growing within the creative field.”

This year’s second recipient, Dalya Rahman, is an enthusiastic, creative, and collaborative designer from Toronto. “Receiving The Miles Philip Hammond Scholarship is one of the greatest honours of my journey. Growing up in a single-mom, mixed-race household with cultural differences, I faced not only financial but also personal and medical hurdles. Every challenge strengthened my determination and deepened my passion for my creative career”, shared Dalya. “This scholarship eases much of that burden and allows me to fully dedicate myself to continuing my path to become an art director. I want to focus on creating work that makes the world a lighter, brighter place. This will always be a reminder to me that perseverance is seen, that efforts are valued, and, most importantly, that dreams once thought distant can become reality”.

“At Humber Polytechnic, we believe creativity can be a powerful force for resilience and change,” said Guillermo Acosta, senior dean, faculty of media, creative arts and design. “We are thrilled to partner with Broken Heart Love Affair and Lifelong Crush, two of the country’s top creative agencies to offer this opportunity, empowering students to turn adversity into artistic expression.”

The full-tuition scholarship covers one of Humber Polytechnic’s creative diploma programs, helping recipients gain the tools, mentorship, and inspiration to bring their ideas to life.

“Each year, we are blown away by the strength and passion of our applicants,” said Kate and Kent Hammond, parents of Miles. “Through this scholarship, we continue to honour our son’s legacy of determination while helping young creatives pursue their dreams and find healing through their art. We look forward to watching these brilliant young women grow in their creative careers.”

“Belonging is at the heart of who we are,” shared Joline Matika, SVP, people and operations at Broken Heart Love Affair and Lifelong Crush. “As we work to open doors for underrepresented communities in our industry, we want to ensure everyone has a place where they feel seen and heard. This scholarship is a meaningful way for us to take real action to broaden horizons and create opportunities for diverse voices to thrive. Our partnership with Humber Polytechnic has accelerated that vision.”

More information about the Miles Philip Hammond Scholarship can be found here.