Yes, there was a change, as bluebimma has noted. It was very subtle, but if you look closely, you can see the difference between the two grills.
1995 E36:
1998 E36:
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the two nose panels are interchangeable. However, if you want to reuse your existing grills, you will need to get the nose panel that is correct for your model year.