Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation’s press.

MOVIES

Awards, MTV-Style: The 1996 MTV Movie Awards ceremony held Saturday at Disney Studios in Burbank wasn’t your average, everyday Hollywood-type awards show. Hosted by Janeane Garofolo and Ben Stiller, the event was certainly more irreverent than the usual such fare, featuring several spoofs of current movies and nominees. Some of the offbeat honors presented included the most desirable female award, which went to Alicia Silverstone. Brad Pitt won for most desirable male. Best on-screen duo went to Chris Farley and David Spade for “Tommy Boy,” best kiss went to Natasha Henstridge and Anthony Guidera’s smooch in “Species” and best villain went to Kevin Spacey for “Seven.” As for the more conventional awards, “Seven” was named best movie. Jim Carrey won best male performance for “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” and Silverstone won best female performance for “Clueless.” The winners were determined by a national phone poll of MTV viewers. The awards show will air on MTV Thursday at 9 p.m.

TELEVISION

Religion Weekly: Public television station WNET in New York has received a grant of $2.55 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to produce a weekly series about religion. “Religion and Ethics News Weekly,” to be hosted by Bob Abernathy, will air in the 1997-98 season. The station said it “will cover news of all faiths and spiritual movements worldwide. The series will be respectful of all religious experience and obligated to no single religion or denomination.”

Potter’s Last Works: The Museum of Television & Radio in Beverly Hills will present the U.S. premiere of the two final works of noted British TV dramatist Dennis Potter, who died of cancer in 1994. “Karaoke” and “Cold Lazarus,” the two 3 1/2-hour miniseries that both star Albert Finney, will begin screening at the museum June 20 with “Karaoke.” The screenings will alternate between the two series weekly on Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. As a result of Potter’s dying wish, the series began airing on both the British Broadcasting Corp. and its commercial rival, Channel 4--an unprecedented arrangement--in late May. The two works deal with the power of writers and share the same central character. “Karaoke” is about a screenwriter, played by Finney, who realizes that one of his scripts is being played out in his real life. “Cold Lazarus” is a futuristic story involving the screenwriter. Potter is known for his 1986 series “The Singing Detective,” which aired in the United States on PBS stations.

ART

Acting Museum Head: The Craft and Folk Art Museum has named its grants officer, Nancy Fister, as acting director, replacing longtime Executive Director Patrick Ela, who announced his resignation in April. Fister, who was executive director of the Sawmill Art Center in Cooksburg, Pa., before joining the Los Angeles museum in 1995, was recently awarded a fellowship to the Coro Foundation’s Multicultural Arts Leadership Program. Fister will oversee both administrative and programming aspects while the museum’s board searches for a permanent executive director.

POP/ROCK

An Olympic Welcome: Songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have written the music for a major part of the opening ceremonies at this summer’s Olympic Games in Atlanta. The piece, called “Atlanta’s Welcome to the World,” is described as a “contemporary, dynamic track which is distinctly American.” Jam and Lewis’ songwriting credits include Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done for Me Lately?” and “Nasty.” They have also written for pop stars such as Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men and Luther Vandross.

QUICK TAKES

Raquel Welch, who is currently starring in the CBS series “CPW,” received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Saturday. . . . Jean-Claude Van Damme’s fourth wife filed for divorce--again. Darcy LaPier Van Damme first filed in November 1994, claiming battery and sexual abuse by her estranged husband. Her second petition, filed Friday in Los Angeles, cites irreconcilable differences. The couple have a 9-month-old son. . . . Alanis Morissette wants her handbag back. The singer left the bag, which contained personal belongings and recorded materials, backstage during her June 1 concert at the Gorge Amphitheatrein George, Wash. MCA Concerts is offering a free season pass to the venue for the return of the bag and its contents. . . . The Virginia-based organization Viewers for Quality Television has chosen NBC’s “ER,” “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Law and Order”; ABC’s “NYPD Blue”; and Fox’s “The X-Files” as this year’s nominees for best quality drama. The group’s comedy nominees are ABC’s “Grace Under Fire,” along with NBC’s “Frasier,” “Friends,” “Mad About You” and “Seinfeld.” Winners in 11 categories will be announced Sept. 28 at the 12th annual Quality Awards ceremonies in Los Angeles.