WATCH: Lea Michele makes an emotional tribute to Cory Monteith at the Teen Choice Awards

In her first public appearance since the death of boyfriend and Glee costar Cory Monteith, Lea Michele took the stage at the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday to accept the trophy for best actress in a comedy — and tearfully thanked her fans for their support as she dedicated the award to Monteith.

"I just wanted to be here today to thank all of you and tell everyone out there how much all of your love and support has meant to me after these very past difficult few weeks," said Michele. "Not that I had any doubt before, but you guys are most certainly the greatest fans in the world."

"I wanted to dedicate this award to Cory," she continued. "For all of you out there who loved and admired Cory as much as I did, I promise, with your love, that we're going to get through this together. He was very special to me, and also to the world, and we were very lucky to witness his incredible talent, his handsome smile, and his beautiful, beautiful heart. So whether you knew him personally or just as Finn Hudson, Cory reached out, and he became a part of all of our hearts, and that's where he'll stay forever."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Monteith died in Vancouver on July 13 after taking a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol. Glee's producers have announced that the show's upcoming fifth season will offer a tribute to Monteith, followed by an extended hiatus while the writers rework the story for the fifth season.