Pharrell auctioning famous Grammys cap

Also, this year’s IIFA awards nominations revealed; lawsuit charges Sony cheated Idol winners.

Pharrell Williams, pictured at the Grammy Awards, wearing the brown fedora that is currently being auctioned for charity. Matt Sayles / Invision / AP

The Vivienne Westwood hat that the producer, rapper and singer Pharrell Williams wore at the Grammy Awards is being auctioned on eBay to support his charity. Bids had reached more than US$10,000 (Dh36,730) by Friday afternoon for the brown fedora, which became a trending topic on Twitter after Williams wore it. Proceeds will support Williams’ From One Hand to Another charity, which provides arts and educational resources for children. He will perform his hit Happy at the Academy Awards on March 2. It’s nominated for Best Original Song and is currently No 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He’ll release the album G I R L on March 3. – AP

IIFA Awards 2014 nominations revealed

Based on the life of the former athlete Milkha Singh, the movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, starring Farhan Akhtar, has bagged 10 nominations at the International Indian Film Academy Awards, which take place in April in Tampa Bay, Florida. The nominations for its 15th edition, touted as Indian cinema’s most spectacular awards ceremony outside the country, were announced on Thursday. Ram-Leela and Aashiqui 2 received seven nominations each, while Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, starring Ranbir Kapoor, scored six ­nominations. – The National staff

Lawsuit says Sony cheated Idol winners

A federal lawsuit filed in New York claims that Sony Music Entertainment cheated American Idol contestants, including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie ­Underwood, out of at least $10 million in royalties. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday by 19 Recordings, a music company founded by the Idol creator Simon Fuller. The lawsuit says that 19 discovered the royalty issue from two separate audits of Sony’s records. Other artists named in the suit include Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Jordin Sparks. The attorney Richard Busch, of the Nashville firm King & Ballow, says that the legal action was necessary to protect the rights of 19’s artists. A Sony spokeswoman said that she had no comment. – AP