Danish photographer Mads Nissen has won this year’s World Press Photo award for his intimate picture of Russian gays Jon and Alex in St Petersburg.

The photo is part of a series Nissen has been working on for the past two years under the title Homophobia in Russia.

Jury member Pamela Chen said of the choice of winner: ‘We must respond to what is going on in the world today with work that displays more subtility and intensity.’

There were no Dutch winners this year amongst the 5,692 professional photographers who sent in work in the various categories covered by the award.

An exhibition of the winning photos opens on April 18 in the Amsterdam Nieuwe Kerk.