Lea Michele dedicates award to Cory Monteith

Lea Michele dedicated her Teen Choice Award to late boyfriend and Glee co-star Cory Monteith on Sunday.

The 26-year-old actress braved the red carpet with a smile at the 2013 ceremony, held at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.

She later took the stage to accept the award for Choice TV Actress: Comedy.

In a tearful speech, she thanked fans for their support in the wake of Cory's sudden death last month.

"Thank you guys. Thank you. I just wanted to be here today to personally thank all of you and tell everyone out there how much your love and support has meant to me over these very past few difficult weeks.

"Not that I had any doubt before, but you guys are most certainly the greatest fans in the world and I wanted to dedicate this award to Cory," she said.

Lea admitted she is still struggling to cope in the wake of Cory's passing.

She said his memory will always stay with her, as it will with the late actor's many fans and loved ones.

"For all of you out there who loved and admired Cory as much as I did, I promise that with your love we're going to get through this together," Lea continued.

"He was very special to me and also to the world. 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 will stay forever. So thank you guys so much. Thank you."

The Teen Choice Awards marked Lea's first public appearance since Cory's death.

The actor, who portrayed Finn Hudson on Glee, passed away from a heroin overdose on July 13 in a Vancouver, Canada hotel room. He was 31.