Yuri Kozyrev was selected by a panel of international picture editors from a shorlist that included Tyler Hicks, Ryuichi Hirokawa, Issouf Sanogo and Jérôme Sessini. He won for his six-month coverage of the Arab Spring in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and Yemen.

Kozyrev received his award at last night's screening at the Visa Pour l'Image photojournalism festival in Perpignan. Speaking at the ceremony, Régis Le Sommier, a managing editor at Paris Match, said that he first met Kozyrev in November 2006 in Baghdad. "Chris Hondros had introduced me to Yuri, so it's with Chris in our thoughts that we're giving this Visa d'Or to Yuri Kozyrev."

Thanking the judges, Kozyrev said that he was impressed with the work of his colleagues and friends who were nominated alongside him. "My experience has been unique," he added, "because I had a chance to cover four revolutions. [I also want to] thank Time, with Keira Pollack [Time's director of photography] and Patrick Witty [Time's international picture editor], who gave me this chance to do this, for their great support. And of course, Noor!"

Kozyrev, whose work is on show at the photojournalism festival, received €8000. "This is the third time since its creation in 2007, that Noor photo agency, who represents Kozyrev, is associated with the prestigious prize," says the Amsterdam-based agency. "In 2007, Kadir van Lohuizen received it for his reportage on Chad in Le Monde, in 2008 Philip Blenkinsop received the prize for his coverage on the China earthquake."

Olivier Jobard won the Visa d'Or Features award for his work From Zarzis to Lampedusa, an odyssey of hope. Jobard is a Spia Press photographer shooting for Paris Match.