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

KUDOS

Noble Nominees: Writers from CBS’ “Picket Fences,” Fox’s “Party of Five,” and NBC’s “ER” and “Homicide: Life on the Street” are finalists for the 1996 Humanitas Prize in the hourlong series category, while those from ABC’s “Grace Under Fire” and “Home Improvement,” and NBC’s “Frasier” were named in the half-hour category. In the feature film category, the finalists are “Babe,” “Dead Man Walking” and “A Family Thing.” Other finalists, announced Friday, include Showtime’s “Hiroshima,” TNT’s “Andersonville” and the USA Channel’s “A Mother’s Prayer” in the PBS/cable category; ABC’s “The New Adventures of Madeline,” CBS’ “Santo Bugito” and Fox’s “Life With Louie” for children’s animation; and three “ABC After School Specials” for children’s live-action program. The Humanitas Prizes, to be presented July 11 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, honor film and television writing that “illuminates the human condition.”

POP/ROCK

Metallica Show Prompts Charges: Authorities still fuming over a surprise Metallica concert in San Jose earlier this month have filed criminal charges against the event’s organizers, charging Bill Graham Presents, Tower Records and Elektra Music with disturbing the peace, obstructing traffic and failure to get a permit. Traffic was snarled for hours and police officials were forced to employ officers on overtime because of the heavy-metal band’s free June 4 concert at a Tower store parking lot, which attracted about 10,000 fans. Store manager Barbara Williamson, who also was charged, has said previously that she had asked about an amplified-sound permit (which wasn’t required) and was not told she needed an administrative permit.

Musical Olympic Team: Writer-producers Jimmy “Jam” Harris and Terry Lewis and noted composer Michael Kamen are among those lending their musical talents to the opening and closing ceremonies of the upcoming summer Olympic Games. Harris and Lewis, who have worked with artists including Janet Jackson and Boyz II Men, are creating “Atlanta’s Welcome to the World,” a musical production for the beginning of the July 19 opening ceremonies. Kamen, meanwhile, known for writing hit movie theme songs including Bryan Adams’ “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” and “Everything I Do (I Do It for You),” has created several compositions for the Aug. 4 closing ceremonies.

THE ARTS

NEA Wins a Round: “Watermelon Woman,” a full-length feature film by lesbian filmmaker Cheryl Dunye and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, stirred controversy on the floor of Congress this week as legislators considered the fiscal 1997 budget for the NEA. But the NEA won the minor battle. Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) decided Thursday to withdraw his amendment to cut the NEA’s 1997 allotment--already slashed to $99.5 million in 1996--by $31,500, the amount of Dunye’s grant. However, Hoekstra remains anti-NEA, saying he dropped the amendment only to smooth the way for eliminating all funding to the federal arts agency in 1998. “Watermelon Woman” drew Hoekstra’s ire because the fictional story of a filmmaker who researches a little-known African American actress contains sexually explicit material. Meanwhile, the NEA and its sister organization, the National Endowment for the Humanities, averted any additional budget cuts for fiscal 1997.

FAMILY FARE

More Disney on Ice: Producer Kenneth Feld has announced plans to adapt Disney’s “Pocahontas” and “Toy Story” movies into full-scale, live figure skating shows. “The Spirit of Pocahontas” and “Toy Story,” both productions of Walt Disney’s World on Ice, are budgeted at $8 million each. British skater and 1980 Olympic gold medalist Robin Cousins is set to choreograph “Toy Story,” while American choreographer Sarah Kawahara, who has worked with skaters Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill and Oksana Baiul, will choreograph “The Spirit of Pocahontas.” The “Pocahontas” show is slated to premiere Aug. 30 in Lakeland, Fla., while “Toy Story” will begin touring in October. No L.A. dates are set yet.

QUICK TAKES

Tap Dogs, a six-man Australian contemporary tap-dance company that performs in an industrial setting of steel, ladders and wooden platforms, will make its U.S. debut Sept. 3-22 at UCLA’s Veterans Wadsworth Theater, kicking off a 23-week American tour. . . . Humorist Mort Sahl returns to the stage to take on election-year politics in “Mort Sahl’s America,” July 17-Aug. 11, at West Hollywood’s Tiffany Theatre. . . . Producer Dick Clark and the TV shows “General Hospital” and “ER” will be honored for presenting “responsible and educational programming in the area of AIDS awareness” at the first Ribbon of Hope Celebration, presented at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Sunday by the television academy’s TV Cares committee. . . . Noted R&B; singer Etta James will receive the NAACP’s Lifetime Achievement Award during 2 p.m. ceremonies today at Hancock Park’s Queen Mansion, 217 N. Rossmore Ave. Tickets to the cocktail reception are $20. . . . Country music star Wynonna Judd delivered a 9-pound, 4-ounce baby girl, named Pauline Grace, at a Nashville hospital early Friday morning. Judd and her husband, Arch B. Kelley III, also have a 1 1/2-year-old son, Elijah.