AceShowbiz -

Nina Dobrev gave a heartfelt acceptance speech at Sunday, August 16's Teen Choice Awards ceremony. She addressed her exit from The CW's "The Vampire Diaries", the TV series that was home to her for six years.

Voted as Choice TV Actress: Sci-fi/Fantasy, Dobrev was presented with the award by Victoria Justice and Jake T. Austin. She delivered her acceptance speech with fake fanged teeth that made her inaudible. Then she took the prop off and said, "That's right, I don't need these anymore."

Dobrev said, "So the last two months have been a pretty big change for me. Change. It's a scary word - or at least I used to think that - because it meant new beginnings, new beginnings with a future that's unknown. But change is necessary, necessary for you to learn and to grow and to better yourself. Because everything in life comes to an end."

She continued, "And, as this chapter in my life comes to in an end, I look back at it with a grateful heart, and I smile. Because just like my character Elena, I started the show as a young girl, and together we've grown up, and over the last six years, we've become women."

She thanked the show's creators Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson after telling fans, "These are six incredible years that I've had the pleasure of sharing with all of you guys. We wouldn't be here without you. I wouldn't be here without you."

In addition to winning Choice Actress, Dobrev shared a surfboard for Choice TV: Liplock with Ian Somerhalder.