Kendrick Lamar isn't performing his 'Black Panther' anthem at the Oscars; here's why

The Oscars will be minus one major star on Sunday.

Kendrick Lamar officially won't be performing his Oscar-nominated "Black Panther" hit, "All the Stars," producers confirmed Thursday to USA TODAY.

The performance was considered a no-go as of this week.

"It was our very fervent desire to have 'All the Stars' represented on the show," says producer Donna Gigliotti. "We've been working on it for a long, long time trying to make that work. But between our production schedule for the show and the creative process with Kendrick, and the fact that he has been out of the country, we just couldn't make it work. We're pretty broken-hearted, if the truth be told." 

Lamar is working on new music, producers said, calling him an "amazing" artist who is "in a creative place that is different than what the needs are for the show."

The move reverses a previous announcement that all five Oscar-nominated songs would be performed during the Academy Awards telecast (ABC, Sunday, 8 ET/5 PT). 

Music to be performed during the show, which will be broadcast without a host, has been rocky from the start.

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Originally, the Academy had planned to limit the nominated song performances to just two: "Shallow" and “All the Stars." But they backtracked after an outcry.

Now, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will perform "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs." "The Place Where Lost Things Go" from "Mary Poppins Returns" will be handled by Bette Midler. And Jennifer Hudson will belt "I'll Fight" from the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary "RBG." 

USA TODAY has reached out to Lamar's representative for comment.