In 1996 Laybourne was ranked No. 1 among the 50 Most Influential Women in the Entertainment Industry by The Hollywood Reporter and named one of the 25 Most Influential people in America by Time Magazine. She has been awarded the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s award for Distinguished Lifetime Contribution to Children and Television, the New York Women in Communications Matrix Award for Broadcasting, the Creative Coalition’s Spotlight Award, the Grand Tam Award from the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), the Governor’s Award from the National Academy of Cable Programming, the Alliance for Women in Media Genii Award, the Women in Cable Award, the Sara Lee Corporation’s Frontrunner Award, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the New York Women in Film & Television Muse Award.