The 2012 CMT Country Music Awards took place on Monday (December 3, 2012) in Nashville but this year, the winners will be kept top secret until Saturday December 8, when the star-studded show will be broadcast at 10pm on CMT. The 90 minute special will be hosted by Rascal Flatts and Hayden Panettiere and will feature performances from some of country music’s biggest stars, as well as appearances from a number of A-list sports and entertainment stars.

Amongst those treading the boards for the illustrious awards show were Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Kenny Chesney and Sheryl Crow and also making an appearance on the night were the Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Sammy Hagar, Metallica’s James Hetfield, the shock-rocker Kid Rock and Miranda Lambert. From the world of sport, the Atlanta Braves’ Chipper Jones put in an appearance, as did the Nashville Predators’ Mike Fisher.

This is the first year that CMT have kept the lid on the list of honorees. As a result, country music fans will have to wait until the weekend if they want a slice of the action, when the 90-minute special is aired. According to CMT’s press release, the show will be “the most exclusive gathering of country music superstars of the year and celebrates the class of 2012 with an incredible evening of wall-to-wall performances and special appearances from others in entertainment.”